The Jerk Still Had My Necklace
by ferbs55
Summary: Not your typical "Zuko captures Katara" story! What happens if Katara stayed tied to the tree during the pirates' and Zuko's soldiers' fight? Follows series after "The Waterbending Scroll". Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

**I wanted to try something new with the whole "Zuko brings Katara on his ship" plot line. Every chapter is already written; five reviews gets the next! **

**(If anyone wants to help Beta PM me :)****)**

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Zuko was incensed. He was stuck in a stupid flea market, where he had periodically seen his soldiers walking by with increasing mountains of junk in their arms, waiting for his uncle to find the dumb lotus tile which was the reason for this time wasting venture.

With his jaw set and arms crossed, Zuko finally saw Iroh approach him through his glare. "I've checked all the markets on this pier. Not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace."

That was the final straw. Zuko's temper finally released itself. "It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!"

Iroh wasn't discouraged by his nephew's outburst. "Quite the contrary. I can always say the only thing better than finding something you were looking for, is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!"

Some of the soldiers walked by the two, their arms filled with useless junk. One such piece caught Zuko's eye. "You bought a tsungi horn?!"

"For music night on the ship! Now, if only we had some woodwinds." Zuko fumed silently as he and Iroh continued down the dock until Iroh spotted another useless item, this time a creepy looking bejeweled monkey.

"Ooh, that is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?"

But Zuko wasn't listening to his uncle. Instead, a couple of pirates who were talking about an earlier incident piqued his interest.

"We lost the Water Tribe girl and the little bald monk she was traveling with."

_It can't be._ He was never that lucky. Even still, Zuko decided the best thing to do was take a chance as he walked over to the two. "This monk, did he have an arrow on his head?"

* * *

Katara was being restless. As Sokka snored and Aang peacefully slept, she kept tossing and turning in her bag. Finally, the temptation was too great. She quietly snuck out, grabbed the scroll from Aang's bag, and walked toward the river. Momo almost blew her cover, but soon enough she was at the bank trying to make a successful water whip.

"Shoot! Come on water, work with me here!"

This was getting ridiculous. She had been waterbending since she was three, how could she not get something before Aang could?!

"Okay, Katara, shift your weight through the stances…" Just as it looked like she was getting somewhere, the water collapsed. "Ugh!"

She was about to draw another stream of water when the sound of grinding metal reached her ears. She ran to the hedge, only to see a Fire Nation cutter that had been brought up on the riverbank.

Katara was turning to run, but as she did she ran straight into one of the pirates from at the market. _Shoot!_

"No, let go of me!" An almost perfect water whip to the head allowed her to get out of the pirates' grasp. She turned again, this time into hard armor. This man grabbed her wrists and held them between the two of them. Katara looked up to see the golden eyes of Prince Zuko. His words chilled her, but sent a certain thrill through her body.

"I'll save you from the pirates."

* * *

True to his word, Zuko took Katara as his captive, and kept her away from the pirates. Though this meant he took the scroll and tied her to a tree. A tree. He couldn't have just tied up her hands and kept one of his on the knot. No, he has to tie her nearly head to toe to a tree. And now he was circling around her, probably trying to figure out how best to approach her inevitable interrogation.

"Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you or your brother." Oh, so he was going with the ultimatum route.

"Go jump in the river!" She was feisty, the prince gave her that much. And as much as he was thinking of other things, his temper clouded his teenage thoughts.

"Try to understand," he pleaded smoothly. "I need to capture the Avatar to restore something I've lost. My honor. " He was doing his circling thing again, ending up by bringing his mouth down by her ear. "Perhaps in return I can restore something _you've _lost."

She could feel the heat from his arms radiating as they circled her body. His hands stopped by her neck, and she looked down to see her most prized possession before he withdrew his hands and walked away with a smirk.

"My mother's necklace! How did you get that?"

"I didn't steal it if that's what you're wondering." Katara narrowed her eyes at his entendre. "Tell me where he is."

"No!" Her insolence was wearing Zuko thin. While he understood and nearly admired the loyalty the girl was showing the Avatar, he was getting annoyed that she was standing in his way to get the boy once again. Just as if his nerves weren't getting pushed as they were, the pirate captain decided he needed to open his mouth, too.

"Enough of this necklace garbage. You promised the scroll!"

Zuko had uncharacteristically already thought this through. He grabbed the scroll from his belt and lit a fire in his hand underneath it. "I wonder how much money this is worth?" After gasps and a few "No!"s from the pirate crew, he had his answer. "A lot, apparently. Now you help me find what I want, you'll get this back and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet me back here."

The pirates dispersed into the woods before Iroh turned on his nephew. "Prince Zuko, have you thought about your actions at all? About what you are going to do if this doesn't come to fruition the way you expect?"

"I'm working on it, Uncle."

"What about Miss Katara, is it?" The older man turned to the Waterbender, who was surprised someone who was always so jovial and polite could be related to Prince Hot Head.

"Oh! Uh, yeah." He smiled at her kindly before his gaze became questioning to his nephew.

"I just need to be absolutely sure of something regarding her and the Avatar."

That didn't sound good to her. Iroh's mouth was open to ask Zuko what he was planning, but the pirates came back with Sokka and Aang. Zuko watched the monk and gauged his reaction when he saw the girl tied up. _Perfect._

"Nice work."

Katara was in full on mother mode when she saw the two captured, all because she wanted that stupid scroll. "Aang, this is all my fault."

Of course, Aang had to be self-righteous. "No, Katara it isn't."

"Yeah, it kind of is." As much as his opinion wasn't needed in that moment, Katara couldn't help but find Iroh's interjection to be well needed comic relief.

Zuko approached the pirates, his usual set look of determination on his features. "Give me the boy."

"You give us the scroll."

Katara could see the gears grinding in her brother's head. _Please, Sokka, _please _don't say something stupid._

"You're really gonna hand over the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment?" _Like that._

Zuko understood exactly where his train of thought was headed. Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other.

"Your friend is the Avatar?"

_Shut up, Sokka. Shut up, Sokka. Shut up, Sokka. _But when had her brother ever done what she wished?

"Sure is, and I'll bet he'll fetch a lot more on the black market then that fancy scroll."

Zuko voiced Katara's opinions, only a bit harsher than she would have. "Shut your mouth, you Water Tribe peasant!"

"Yeah, Sokka, you really should shut your mouth..."

Katara prayed that it was the end of her brothers' stupidity, but clearly he had only begun. "I'm just sayin', it's bad business sense. Just imagine how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for life!"

Zuko knew his transaction was over by the look on the pirate captain's face. "Keep the scroll. We can get a hundred with the reward we'll get for the kid."

His temper finally broke as the captain walked away with the two boys. "You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" Zuko and two of his soldiers kicked their legs and let fire flow towards the pirates. Chaos ensued as the Firebenders and the pirates fought, especially after the pirates let their smoke bombs loose.

Katara was initially concerned for her brother and Aang as the sound of metal hitting metal continued from the smoke cloud. Her fear was dissipated after Aang airbended the cloud away so Sokka could find him, and then saw him jump from the smoke. After a while she got bored with listening to the fight. She looked around pointedly, then saw Iroh calmly watching the debacle with his hands in his sleeves.

"I knew this would happen. As I try to tell my nephew, there's nothing new under the sun."

It wasn't the first time she had heard one of his proverbs, but she knew he was right. Zuko was foolish for thinking that everything would be okay when dealing with pirates.

_Speak of the devil, and he shall appear._ Zuko extricated himself from the fight and walked over to the two bystanders. "Your brother and the Avatar are trying to push the pirate's boat into the river." She looked over towards the bank. Sure enough, Zuko was right. The pirates were retreating from the Fire Nation soldiers and running along the bank to watch their ship go downstream.

"Uncle, go get the cutter."

"But Prince Zuko-"

"Now, Uncle! Before _they_ decide to take it!" Iroh ran through the bushes and Katara could hear the engine starting. The pirates were running in that direction now, but were visibly dismayed to know someone else got there first. They walked back towards the forest and disappeared from sight.

"Look at you, being all right!" Katara faked praised.

"I have my moments," Zuko replied simply. He walked toward the bank where his uncle was pulling up in the cutter. Iroh came out as Zuko was about to go in.

"Prince Zuko, what about Miss Katara?"

"What about her?"

"We can't leave her here!"

"Her friends will get her."

"Prince Zuko, listen to me. It could be a long while before they are back. They went towards the waterfall. They are sure to be injured."

Katara had no idea what exactly they were saying, but she knew it was about her. She saw Zuko hang his head and steam come from his nostrils, but he made his way towards her tree with an expressionless face.

"You're coming with us."

"I'm _what?! _No way. Uh uh. Nope. Not gonna happen."

Even as she spoke, Zuko was undoing her ropes. They fell away from her arms, but as she started to rub her wrist he caught one. "Look at me. I know you don't want to and I don't really want to either, but you have to right now."

"But what about Aang and Sokka?!"

"They can come get you when they're ready." He kept his hand around her wrist and started to guide her towards the cutter.

"Oh, I already see where this is going. The heroic prince saves the damsel in distress, but then the 'heroic prince' façade leaves, and it ends up he captures both the damsel and her friends! So what, you're using me as bait so that Aang will come and get me?! No way. There is no way I am going to let that happen. Absolutely not. Who do you think I am, Zuko?!"

Finally he snapped. "Listen to me! The way your friends are headed is to a waterfall. Our ship can go against the currents, but that pirate ship can't. My uncle thinks they're hurt because there was no way for them to avoid it, so he wants you to come with us so he knows you're okay and not starved to death while they're healing. No, I'm not using you as bait. No, I'm not taking you prisoner. I'll admit I was thinking about it, but that would only inconvenience me. I am _bringing _you to my ship, allowing you to use one of the rooms, be fed, be clean, be safe while they're incapacitated. Or, you can stay here and fend for yourself in the wilderness. I don't care either way! Which do you want?!"

Katara was quiet for a moment. It was true that she hadn't seen Appa come flying their way, and she hadn't heard Sokka or Aang. She closed her eyes and allowed Zuko to guide her to the cutter. She couldn't believe what she was doing; how stupid could she be, voluntarily going on a ship that was commanded by the Fire Lord's son?!

As the ship loomed closer, Katara could only think that Zuko was right. At least she would have a place to stay and an actual hot meal for the first time in who knows how long.

The bow lowered into the ramp Katara had seen before. The sound of metal on metal reached her ears as the cutter was guided up the ramp and it closed.

"Uncle, I'll leave you to get her set up," Zuko mumbled before walking off.

The old general was very kind, showing Katara where the galley and onboard library was, and how to get to the upper outdoor deck so she could practice her Waterbending.

"And this will be your room, Miss Katara. If you ever need, Prince Zuko's is right down the hall."

She thanked him and went to lie down on the sinfully comfortable bed. She couldn't help but think of Sokka and Aang, worrying about whether they were okay, were being taken care of, and whether Sokka's insatiable appetite could live without her for a few days.

Katara had never been without her brother before. The thought was strange that she wouldn't wake up to his snores only a few feet away. Maybe this was a good time to get used to it, though- she was almost the accepted marrying age in her tribe, anyway.

She sighed deeply as she thought about the events that brought her to this red clad room. And Zuko, how he was being almost _nice-_ for him, anyway- about letting her stay. Her thoughts turned back to Sokka and Aang quickly again. Her hand reached up instinctively, and with that she was broken out of her thoughts and narrowed her eyes toward her metal door.

_The jerk _still_ has my necklace._


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! Thank you so much, everyone, from the support you all gave me last chapter. Let's see if we can double it this time!**

**I'll try to update by Friday night, but I'm going to see Luke Bryan then. If not, then see you again Saturday!**

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Katara had been on the Fire Nation Prince's ship for three days now. She had been more or less idle, always thinking of Sokka and Aang, wondering where they were, if they were okay. General Iroh was very amiable and kind to the teen, always inviting her to meals and asking her to the upper deck so he could observe her training. It was kind of strange at first, but she soon realized he was trying to learn as much about Waterbending as she was.

She and Zuko avoided each other. He would stay in his room, or confer with his officers, or be found in either the weight room or on the deck training. Which Katara was fine with, but she wanted to know what his intentions were regarding her. Not that she thought Zuko would be dishonorable, but she needed to know if he would let her join her brother and Aang after they heard something.

Currently, Katara was browsing through the small library that was adjacent to Zuko's weight room. Zuko currently was in there, curling a couple of weights she knew Sokka would have no chance in lifting. A particular story, one about two people named Oma and Shu, piqued her interest. Iroh walked in as soon as she settled in to read the book.

"Ah, the story of Oma and Shu," he started in his drawling voice. "I must say, you have good taste in stories, Miss Katara."

She couldn't help but giggle at the sly wink he gave her. "Thank you, General Iroh. Will you join me?"

"Of course! If you like, I could tell you the story instead of you reading it. I've heard more details during my time in the Earth Kingdom than that book gives you. And please, Miss Katara, call me Uncle!"

She had to laugh again. "Well, then you have to call me just Katara. And yeah, if you would like to."

"Okay then, Just Katara. Let's get started!"

Iroh began the tale of the two eighteen year olds who were born in two separate warring villages that one day met on top of the mountain that divided their two villages and fell in love.

"The villages were enemies so they could not be together. But their love was strong and they found a way. The two lovers learned Earthbending from the badger moles. They became the first Earthbenders. They built elaborate tunnels so they could meet secretly. Anyone who tried to follow them would be lost forever in the labyrinth. But one day the man didn't come. He died in the war between their two villages. Devastated, the woman unleashed a terrible display of her Earthbending power. She could have destroyed them all, but instead she declared the war over. Both villages helped her build a new city where they would live together in peace. The woman's name was Oma and the man's name was Shu. The great city was named Omashu as a monument to their love."

The story was so sad, but when Iroh was talking about the couple, Katara couldn't help her gaze from wandering from the aging man in front of her to the clearly frustrated young man one room over.

Iroh's quote at the end of the tale was one Katara couldn't help remembering the most. "'Love is brightest in the dark.'"

"What do you think that means, Iroh?"

With his hand on his chin, he replied. "No matter how dark and dismal the situation you are in, no matter how horrible it is, love will always be there, shining through the bleakness. It shows you that there will always be hope."

Iroh invited Katara to dinner, which she gratefully accepted. On her way to the galley, she saw Prince Pouty himself walking down the hall. She was about to let him pass by her sans acknowledgement, but decided against it at the last second.

"Hey, Zuko!"

He paused about five feet in front of her, waiting. Now that she had his attention, though, Katara had no clue as to what to say to him.

"Uh… I'm going to meet Iroh at dinner, do you, uh, want to…" _Nice going, Katara._ He still stood there expectantly, his one eyebrow now peaked. "Oh, never mind!"

He got closer to her. "No, please, finish your thought."

_Ugh, why did I have to talk to him in the first place?! _"Come eat with us. You've been antisocial since I've been here."

His eyebrow rose up again, this time in surprise. "You _want _me to come to dinner with you?" He asked dubiously.

_Ugh, KATARA. Why, why, why, why, why? "_Just forget I said anything, Zuko!_"_

As she tried to breeze past him, he caught her wrist. "Can you tell me what you were trying to say before you just leave?" He asked harshly.

"Let go."

"Tell me first."

"Let. GO."

"I will if you tell me."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm a prince."

"Not mine."

"Because you're on my ship."

He had a point. Katara opened her mouth to retort, but only huffed. "I already told you. Your uncle invited me, and since it is about dinner time, I figured I would be _polite _and extend the invitation. Now let me go."

He did. As she began walking away, she heard Zuko exhale. "Fine. Uh, give me ten minutes." She looked back, mouth gaping, and saw the prince turn on his heel and head towards his room

_What?! _Katara was so confused by that boy. He was one way one day, another the next. She shook her head and continued on to the galley to find a chuckling Iroh.

"I see you finally convinced my nephew to spend some time with us."

Katara shook her head and held up a hand in a way that clearly stated, "I don't want to talk about it." She sighed as she plopped down on one of the cushy chairs across from the former general, who chuckled to himself once more before dropping the subject. They fell into a companionable silence, but Katara wanted to know more about the infamous Dragon of the West.

"General Iroh-" He raised an eyebrow at the title. "-_Uncle _Iroh, could you tell me a bit about yourself before Zuko arrives?"

He set the tea cup he was sipping out of down with a sigh. "I was born to Fire Lord Azulon, as you probably know. I grew up in the Fire Nation Palace as a boy, learning from the top Firebending and general school masters, but I was sent off to the very best military school in the nation. I was destined to be a great military leader like my father, as well as the future Fire Lord, and so I was.

"When I was seventeen and away at my first military campaign, I heard news that my mother was pregnant. My brother, Fire Lord Ozai, was born a few months later."

Katara knew from her own tribe's hierarchy that it wasn't right. "If you're so much older and the first born son, how is it that Ozai is on the throne?"

"When I was officially ranked as a general in the army, I began a campaign against Ba Sing Se. As we were to penetrate the inner wall, I received news back from the front line. My only child, my son, Lu Ten, had been killed in the battle." Katara's hand flew to her mouth. "I stopped my campaign and ordered the men to retreat. The news got back to the Fire Nation Capital. My power-hungry brother swooped at the chance. He had two young children; a firstborn son, and a surviving daughter. I got wind of my father's death and Fire Lord Ozai's coronation on my way back to the Fire Nation."

"Oh, Iroh…" She couldn't imagine what that would have been like. To have your son be killed, your father die and then to know your birthright was stripped away by your own family on top of it? "How could he do such a thing?"

"Because my father is ruthless, unsympathetic, uncaring, heartless, and is only concerned with gaining more power than he already has." A rough voice interjected tonelessly. Katara spun toward the door to see an armor clad Prince Zuko walking towards the table before sitting to her left. "Any other happy family stories you wish to share, Uncle? No? Good. Moving on."

Iroh looked down towards his tea cup. Zuko took his napkin and unrolled it causally. Katara looked between the two men.

"_Excuse _me?" Zuko's eyes flickered to her face, annoyed. "Did you _really _just talk to him that way?"

His eyes narrowed. "The words came out of my mouth, didn't they?"

"What is wrong with you? Your uncle is talking about his son- _your _cousin- and all you can say is 'moving on'?!"

Iroh knew the exchange would get out of control, both by Katara's words and the slight temperature increase he could feel coming from his nephew's way.

"Everybody from the Earth Kingdom to the Southern Water Tribe knows your uncle gave up everything to go on this wild goose chase with you, and you treat him like dirt. How ungrateful are you?!"

"Miss Katara…" Iroh tried warning, but he knew the teens were too far gone to listen.

Zuko closed his eyes and steam came from between his fisted fingers.

"You don't know anything, peasant," he growled through clenched teeth.

"I think it's _you _who doesn't know anything,_ Prince Zuko. _You're a terrible person, you know that? Always hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace. But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood."

It was as if the room itself froze. Iroh's eyes widened at Katara's words. Katara looked like she couldn't believe that she had said what she had.

Zuko stood up slowly. "Outside. Upper deck. Now."

"Zuko, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to say-"

"Outside." He spun on his heel briskly and slammed the metal door behind him.

Katara clasped her hands together and put them to her mouth. "I really didn't mean that. I didn't…" She whispered. Iroh put one of his hands on her shoulder.

"I know."

"What should I do?"

"The Fire Nation has hurt you personally, this much I can tell. As the heir apparent of a nation that has taken what it has, Prince Zuko is the perfect symbol and outlet for you take out your anger on. I won't pry, but I think you should tell him."

Katara nodded once before she rose to go to the upper deck. "Thank you, Iroh."

Her heart pounded in her ears as she ascended the metal staircase that led to the outside training grounds. Zuko was there waiting in his sleeveless training uniform, his armor discarded.

"Look who decided to show," he sneered.

_Don't take his words to heart, Katara._ "Zuko, I'm not going to fight you."

Instead of responding he dropped in an offensive stance, arms poised to strike.

"I just want to talk to you, Zuko."

"I think you said enough."

She let her head fall backwards in annoyance. "You see that?" She asked while pointing upward. "It's the full moon, Zuko. I may not have had as much training as you, but I know I'll win because of it."

He scowled towards the sky, but dropped his stance. "You want to talk, get over here and talk."

Katara sighed in relief as she walked to join the prince at the railing. Iroh had been giving her advice that he had garnered while studying Waterbenders, but even with it and the moon she wasn't sure how the duel would end. She leaned on the rail next to Zuko, but didn't talk for a few moments. He was so big and muscular. His size and build were intimidating, but as she joined him on the ship's edge she wasn't scarred like she knew she would have been a few months ago.

"I'm waiting." Her eyes narrowed in the older teen's direction, but she didn't want to push her luck with his temper.

"I'm sorry I said what I did, Zuko. Would you believe me if I said I honestly didn't mean it?" She paused. He didn't answer. Not that she expected him to. "It's just… you're the perfect person to put my blame on. You've chased my brother, my best friend and me down nearly across the world, and you are who you are. Not that I didn't harbor resentment towards the Fire Nation before I met you, but you are a tangible, living thing that I could place the blame on."

They both were silent at first.

"Why?" It was more of a statement than a question. Katara hesitated answering him but looked up at the moon as she did.

"The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

She could feel him stiffen next to her.

"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common."

Her mouth opened to ask the question she had ready, but he turned and started walking across the deck to go back inside.

"Zuko?" He stopped. "When… If we hear news about Sokka and Aang, will you let me go?" He nodded once and proceeded to the metal door.

"Zuko?" This time the teen turned the scarred side of his face towards the area the Waterbender was still in. "I'm sorry, too."

The Firebender didn't acknowledge that he heard her. When his form disappeared through the doorway, Katara sighed and looked once more to the moon and stars. She felt even worse about her actions now. When she thought of Zuko, she thought of the scarred young man that was the son of the man in charge of the war that had torn her family apart. She never thought that he had had any other part to his family, especially someone as kind and gentle as Iroh, or even a sister. What did she think of her brother's plight? And his mother. Maybe that was the cause of a lot of the angst he was feeling.

Katara made a resolution that night. Before she allowed herself to pass any more judgment on Zuko, she was going to negate the impressions he had made and would learn anything she could about him. She just hoped both their tempers would allow it before they killed one another.


	3. Chapter 3

**I 3 Luke Bryan. Whether you're a country fan or not, who could not appreciate that sexy man?**

**Thank you, all, for the support you've shown. It's disheartening when you don't get any recognition for something you've worked hard, so I really appreciate it. **

**The next one is already typed out, and I think you all are going to like it. Remember, reviews make me update faster!**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

Katara was annoyed. She was honestly, honestly trying to stick to her promise about Zuko, but he was being so moody and mercurial she couldn't stand being on the expansive deck a number of feet between them, let alone in the same room as him. He had been moodier than she could be when that time came, randomly snapping at his crew and uncle.

Currently he was looking through a telescope. Not that she knew what he was trying to see, other than blue water. Iroh looked like he was sniffing at something.

"There is a storm coming. A big one." Zuko inhaled deeply as he lowered his telescope.

"You're out of your mind, Uncle. The weather's perfect. There is not a cloud in sight."

"The storm is approaching from the north. I suggest we alter our course and head southwest."

Of course, he had to be stubborn. "We know the Avatar is traveling northward, so we will do the same.

"Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew."

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" Katara could have done a Sokka- like face palm at Zuko's comment, as right when he said the words, Lieutenant Jee strolled by. He raised a gray, suspicious eyebrow at the young man but said nothing. But Prince Hot Head had to make a scene of it. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety."

Zuko sauntered off, his mood showing in his gait. Iroh tried to smooth over the situation, but by the look on the commanding officer's face, there wasn't much he could say. "He doesn't mean that, he's just all worked up."

Katara continued to play with the water she had drawn up in her hand. Her solitary bubble was interrupted moments later, though, when a volatile prince walked through the metal door in perfect time to hear thunder clap in the near distance.

"Huh! Looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all." She winced, knowing Zuko would get agitated by the lieutenant's words.

"Lucky guess." The said general shrugged.

Sure enough, Zuko marched up to the CO. "Lieutenant, you'd better learn some respect," he began pointing in the older man's chest, "or I will teach it to you."

Zuko began to walk away. _Talk about respect! _Katara fumed. Before Lieutenant Jee could say the words burning on his tongue, Katara jumped up to confront the Prince.

"What do you know about respect? The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard working crew to your esteemed uncle shows you know nothing about respect. You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a spoiled prince?"

His shoulders stiffened at his words, and he dropped into a low stance after her tirade was finished. "It's not night time anymore, _peasant._"

Katara didn't give him the satisfaction that his words cut. Instead, she dropped into a stance of her own before replying, "It's not sunny out, either."

"Easy, now." Iroh tried to assuage. The teens approached each other, ending with their wrists crossing one another's. He approached the two, and knew it was time to diffuse the situation when Zuko's began to smoke against the waterbender's skin. He quickly but neatly separated their forearms, but they continued to glare at each other over him.

"Enough! We are all a bit tired from being at sea so long. I'm sure after a bowl of noodles everyone will feel much better."

Zuko and Katara glare at each other a moment after, but then each turn on their heels and continue on their way.

"I don't need your help keeping order on my ship." He told his uncle tersely. Iroh placed his hand on the young man's shoulder, only to have it thrown off and him walk away.

Katara knew it was the wrong thing to say to him. But her pact be damned, she was not about to just allow him to act like that and not speak up! She was aimlessly marching around the ship, fuming and mad at both Zuko and herself. That jerk!

"I'm sick of taking his orders and I'm tired of chasing his Avatar!"

The sound of Lieutenant Jee's voice rang through a slightly open door and cut through Katara's thoughts. She peeked through the illuminated doorway to see Jee and other members of the crew around a table, waiting for his next words. She clasped her hand to her mouth to contain a scream when a hand landed on her shoulder, and turned to see Iroh's saddened face behind her. He nodded at the door, clearly saying she should go in with him

"I mean, who does Zuko think he is?"

"Do you really want to know?"

The men were all surprised to hear the General's voice ring out from the shadows. Iroh and Katara both entered the room, the crewmen scrambling to stand at attention.

"General Iroh! We were just-" Iroh raised a hand with a nonjudgmental expression to silence him.

"It's okay. May we join you?"

"Of course, sir!" Around the table, the men shuffled around drew up two more chairs. As he sat, Iroh began stroking his beard, deep in thought over what he would say before he started.

"Try to understand, my nephew is a complicated young man. He has been through much..."

"I remember the day well. Prince Zuko was just thirteen, but his stubborn determination we all know was still alive and present. He was trying to sneak past the guards posted outside Fire Lord Ozai's throne room to attend a war meeting. When I was to enter, I saw him and how disappointed he was. I tried to persuade him out of it, but he was adamant. I just wish I was more adamant.

"I told him not to speak, and he promised he would not. He was so excited to attend the meeting, who was I to stop him? He had gone through much already, what with Princess Ursa. I did not want him to feel unhappy.

_So she was gone before he was thirteen. _Katara felt for him. Her mother was killed when she was very young, so she could understand Iroh's perspective. It was she knew people in her tribe had done when it came to Sokka and her many times before.

"They wanted to sacrifice new recruits, fresh out of their training, to take on the most highly skilled group of Earthbenders the region had. Zuko couldn't stand the thought. He shot up from his seat and faced the old general who had suggested the plan. _'You can't sacrifice an entire division like that! Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?'_"

_That sounds so like him. _An unbidden rush of admiration over Zuko's loyalty passed through Katara as she heard Iroh's words.

He paused momentarily. It looked like he was gathering his thoughts again, and that this part of the story was where it turned badly. "Zuko was right, you see, but it was not his place to speak out, and there were... dire consequences."

"After Zuko's outburst in the meeting, the Fire Lord became very angry with him. He said that Prince Zuko's challenge of the general was an act of complete disrespect, and there was only one way to resolve this..."

"Agni Kai. A fire duel." Jee was obviously horrified, and while she didn't know the details, Katara knew it could not have a good outcome for Iroh to be reacting this way to his own story. He nodded once.

"That's right. Zuko looked upon the old general he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid. But Zuko misunderstood. When he turned to face his opponent, he was surprised to see it was not the General. Zuko had spoken out against a general's plan, but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord whom he had disrespected. Zuko would have to duel his own father."

Katara's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in terror. She had a feeling of where this story was heading, connecting Zuko's scar, the history she knew up to then, and Iroh.

"When Prince Zuko saw that it was his father who had come to duel him, he fell into a bow and begged for mercy. Though Zuko has always been a powerful bender, he refused to fight. But Fire Lord Ozai is not a merciful man."

"He said Zuko would fight for his honor, but still Zuko would not rise from his bow. 'Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!' Then he said the words I could never imagine a father saying to his child." Iroh closed his eyes at the memory. No one pressed what the words were, though it was clear they wanted to.

"I looked away." He tilted his head in the way Katara was sure he would have that day. She gasped lightly and covered her mouth with both hands, unshed tears swimming in her eyes.

It took a moment for anyone to speak, but finally Lieutenant Jee spoke gently. "I always thought that Prince Zuko was in a training accident..."

Iroh was steely. "It was no accident. After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness. As punishment he was banished and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honor."

"So that's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal." Katara whispered.

"Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is, the Avatar gives Zuko hope."

* * *

Katara walked around in a daze, still trying to digest the information she had just received. When they fought the other day, Zuko was right; she really _didn't _know anything. But now she did. Her musings stopped when she ran into solid metal.

"Ow!" She looked up to see Zuko, who was frowning down at her. "Oh… Uh, Zuko-"

"Save it." Two cold words and he was breezing past her again. She sighed deeply and proceeded onto the deck where the other men were, who were trying to do their daily duties while being pelted in rain. She made a shield around the deck to stop the water from hitting them and was shot grateful looks.

It ended when a bolt of lightning hit the bridge and suddenly Zuko was barking in her ear.

"Where were we hit?"

"I don't know!"

"Look!"

Iroh pointed up at the smoking tower, where a silhouette of a man was hanging on to dear life to a slippery rail.

"The helmsman!" Zuko shouted before sprinting and climbing the ladder to get to the man, Jee following his footsteps. Katara was worried for them both; she knew that lightning did strike twice, It was high up, and slippery. Beside her, Iroh tensed before shooting out his arm to capture the bolt of lightning that threatened to hit Zuko and Jee and guiding it out the other.

"Ahh!" A shout was heard and the helmsman finally let go. But before he could fall, a pale hand reached out and grabbed his. Zuko and Jee together saved his life and worked to get him on the ladder to safety. For the second time, Katara felt her admiration for his good qualities grow. _Maybe my promise to myself will work, after all._

As soon as the dazed man was walking on the deck, Iroh joined his nephew. "Uncle, I'm sorry."

Iroh placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder, and this time it wasn't shrugged off. "Your apology is accepted."

"We need to get this ship to safety."

"Then we must go to towards the eye of the storm."

Iroh left to go inside as they approached a sunny part of the storm. The rain hardly drizzled and the wind died down considerably. Then it was only Zuko and Katara left. He was by the rail again, but this time his armor was off. It made him seem more… vulnerable. She twitched her fingers to bend the rain from his soggy clothes, and he jumped up in surprise.

He eyed her warily. "Thanks," he muttered succinctly before turning around again.

"Zuko." He turned around, only to have Katara launch her body towards him and wrap her arms around his neck. "You could have died up there," she whispered. She almost felt like laughing at the way his body tensed and how he had his arms awkwardly in the air behind her.

"I did what I needed to do."

"You were very brave, Zuko. That was the bravest thing I've seen somebody do." His hands on her shoulders made her push away, but she still kept her hands around his neck.

His golden eyes regarded her, his brow slightly furrowed. _To see if I'm being honest, _she realized. She studied his face as he did hers- the straight nose, the high cheekbones, his angular chin… his scar. Even with that ponytail she resented, he was attractive. It wasn't the first time she had noticed it, being her age, but it was the first time it truly stuck out. Probably because they were so close. "I'm telling the truth."

His hands fell from her shoulders and she dragged her body against his warm one again. But instead of hanging them awkwardly, she felt his hands place themselves between her hips and lower back. It didn't last long, but it was a start. He walked away, leaving her feeling satisfied.

She didn't watch him leave. She leaned on the rail and nearly smiled at the calm, sunny area in the middle of the turbulent storm.

"Katara?" It was her turn to turn around and face the prince. The corners of his lips turned up slightly in an attempt to smile. "Thank you."

She smiled gently at him before looking once again at the blue sky. _That was the first time he said my name._

And for the first time, she actually slightly liked him.


	4. Chapter 4

The bridge had yet to be repaired since the storm, so Zuko and Jee's meeting had to resume in an office underneath the bridge's main meeting room, where once again Iroh was kicking Katara in Pai Sho.

"We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the pirate incident. But, if we continue heading northeast-"

The Lieutenant stopped as a large shadow blocked the sunlight that had just been pouring through the expansive windows. Everybody looked up, confused, to see a massive Fire Navy ship approaching theirs.

"What do they want?" Zuko asked, already irritated.

"Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Sho!"

"I don't think so, Uncle," he mumbled without taking his eyes off the ship that had pulled up beside his. His eyes suddenly snapped to the table. "Katara, run down to my room. Lieutenant, take her place at the Pai Sho table."

"What? Why?!"

"Just do it!" He looked back towards the behemoth and swore under his breath. He turned toward the Waterbender and dragged her to a nearby storage closet.

"No way am I going in there, Zuko!"

He checked out the window before insisting. "There's no time for you to get downstairs. They don't know you're here, and neither you nor I want them to, trust me. So just do it."

She gazed at him for a moment before grudgingly extracting herself from his grasp and standing in the closet, but she was able to see through the slats. Not thirty seconds after, a messenger came through the door, who proceeded to unfurl a scroll with Aang's image on it.

"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance. All information regarding the Avatar must be reported directly to Admiral Zhao."

"Zhao has been promoted? Well, good for him!" Iroh praised.

Zuko was sullen in his response. "I've got nothing to report to Zhao. Now get off my ship and let us pass."

"Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area-"

"Off my ship!"

The messenger and his two accompanying guards left and Katara snuck out of the closet, her expression clearly demanding answers.

Zuko looked out over the waves, his arms behind his back and a scowl on his lips.

* * *

It was nearing sundown and Katara knew Zuko had not been himself the entire day. He had been holed up in his room or the weight room, and now he was practicing out on the deck. Since the men from Admiral Zhao's ship had visited, he had been withdrawn. He hadn't even barked at her today.

She watched him practice his bending for a while- the harsh, anger fueled punches, the succinct sweeps of his legs, the blunt kicks towards his invisible target.

The cut off shirt he was wearing was drenched in sweat, but she was focusing on the way the prince's biceps expanded and constricted, following his body's command as he went through his forms.

With each guttural grunt he released while executing a move, his stony, calculating expression was interrupted with a twisting of his thin lips and a narrowing of his eyes. He was holding nothing back in his session, practicing the same way he would fight, and Katara found it fascinating. His fighting style, so brash, so rough, was so different from her own, lithe and smooth.

Her studying was interrupted when Zuko finished, raising a hand over his head before bringing it down to his center, signifying the end of his regimen.

"Did you enjoy your little viewing session?" What she knew would normally have a snarky remark was quiet, and it was so strange it was borderline scary.

"Is everything okay? It's been almost all day and you haven't yelled at me- or anyone else- since this morning." _When they were here, _she added silently.

"I don't care what they do," he muttered moodily before glancing at the steel floor and then out to sea. Katara pursed her lips and placed a comforting hand on his arm. She regretted the words she was about to say, but if it could snap him out of his funk, then to hell with it.

"Don't give up hope yet. You can still find Aang before Zhao." _And I probably would want you to over him, anyways. _

His head whipped towards her with a combination of emotions that she had never seen filling his features. _"_How, Katara? With Zhao's resources it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar." He turned once more to the royal blue of the waters and Katara knew he was afraid. Afraid and desperate. "My honor, my throne, my country, I'm about to lose them all." His demeanor was so unlike the Zuko she knew, and it was unnerving to see a flash of his vulnerable side.

"There are more than one way to have honor, Zuko. And you've shown that you have it. I know this expedition you've been sent on is what you think is right, but think about it. You're nearly a full grown man. It's time for you to make your own decisions."

"That's never been much of an option for me. It's always been what I was _expected _to do. Excel in school and Firebending lessons. Respect the generals and the Fire Sages. Don't show weakness. Be a man as a boy. Don't care. Live under public scrutiny. Find the Avatar. Be my father's perfect prince." He spat out the last two words, and Katara couldn't take it any longer. She reached up and brought her arms around his neck and stayed there. He stiffened, but didn't make any other move.

They didn't speak for a long moment. "Zuko?" He _hmm_'d in response. "Why did you bring me on here?"

He understood the underlying question she was asking. _Why were you chasing him?_

"I did what I had to do. Not that that would have made a big impression on you anyway."

She pulled away to look at his impassive face, the scar his own father gave him. "Zuko, I don't hate you. Like I told you the other night, you're easy to blame. Sure, you were annoying," the corners of her mouth turned up at his scowl. "But I _never _hated you. You were doing what you felt like you had to do."

He closed his eyes and she felt his swallow before he dropped his head. Before long, he raised his gaze back towards the water, his eyes full of steely resolve. With his shoulders back and suddenly intimidating expression, Katara knew she was looking at the prince he had been trained to be all his life.

Her biggest surprise was when she felt two strong, nearing hot arms wrap around her back for a brief moment.

Zuko walked away, but he turned back towards the Waterbender, who was still standing, shell shocked, where he had been seconds ago. "Katara?" Her head snapped up to look at him. "Thanks," was all he said, but with a slight almost smile, before he walked back into the ship.

BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBRE AKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKB REAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREA

"Zuko?" Katara called out, knocking on his bedroom door. Yet again, she received no answer. "Ugh!"

_Where _is _he?! _She had been searching for the mercurial young man for the past twenty minutes. He wasn't on the deck, he wasn't in his weight room, he wasn't planning anything, and he wasn't in his room. Where else could he be?

_Iroh! _She ran to the one place she knew she could find the old man; in the kitchen. Sure enough he was there, starting a fire under his tea pot and searching for leaves.

"Care for some tea, Miss Katara?"

"Sure, in a little while. Uh, have you seen Zuko?"

"I was under the impression he was with you."

She pinked. "We stopped talking a little while ago. He came back inside, but I haven't seen him since. He isn't anywhere, and none of the crew has seen him either."

Iroh stopped his ministrations, a suddenly concerned look crossing over his face. Quickly though, it vanished and he was cheery once again.

"I'm sure Prince Zuko will be fine. He knows what he is doing, more often than not. Will you be joining us for music night?"

Iroh's reaction from earlier concerned Katara. What could the prince be doing that even his uncle knew nothing about? She tossed and turned in her red sheets, worrying and thinking about what the prince possibly could be doing. It had been hours since she had last seen him. One more flip and she had the huge Fire Nation emblem that adorned the wall glaring down at her. And Katara stared back, slowly succumbing to a worried sleep as she thought about her newly made good memories with the prince of the nation she had always been grown to hate.

Her concern over him concerned her. Yeah, they had more or less put aside their differences, albeit in an unspoken manner. Sure, she may go as far as to call him an acquaintance, maybe even a friend. Okay, she liked watching him exercise and see his muscles moving, but especially liked when his face made those little annoyed ticks. And his scar… yes, it marred him. But it showed all he had been through in his whole life and how it had shaped him to be the young man she admired today. She didn't think it was ugly like he so obviously did.

Katara stiffened. She was having one of those "Oh, crap" moments all girls get. One of those that screamed, "You're getting feelings for Zuko!"

* * *

Surprisingly after a tumultuous night's sleep, Katara was feeling good. It's as if her revelation last night somehow brought a sort of calm over her. With a small smile on her face that spread to a full grin, she opened the galley door to see Iroh drinking his morning tea, and Zuko sitting beside him, pouring over a drawing of the ship with Lieutenant Jee. The prince looked up, offered a quirking of his mouth when he saw Katara, and quickly pointed back down at the illustration.

"The lightning struck here-" he pointed at the bridge before gliding his finger over the paper to the engine room. "-and we have damage in engine one, as well as up top." He pinched his nose, clearly annoyed. "We can't keep running on the backup engine."

"What would you like to do, sir?"

Zuko's eyes flashed to the map lying above the ship's outline and pointed again. "We'll stop here. It shouldn't take long to fix, but we can't do too much while we're not docked." Katara walked over to the prince and placed a hand on his shoulder. He stiffened only slightly this time.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking over the map.

"Just a small Earth Kingdom village. We can finish the repairs and get supplies and you and Uncle can walk around the market."

"And you."

"No, I'm going to stay here."

"No you're not."

"Yeah, I am."

"No… You're not," she stated like it was the end of the conversation.

"Come on, Prince Zuko. You've been cooped up on this ship for too long," Katara noticed the small scowl that crossed over the prince's face before it quickly vanished. "It's time you get off and have some fun."

"Work now, play later, Uncle." With one sentence he returned to the angry boy they all knew. Katara rolled her eyes and moved away from the teen to grab a plate of the steaming Fire Nation breakfast that was tempting her so.

The old general abandoned his seat and approached the prince and lieutenant, before snatching the map, much to Zuko's protests. "You have worked enough. Today you will go into town with Miss Katara and unwind. You need to have days like that every once in a blue moon, Prince Zuko."

A thin stream of steam came from the teen's nostrils. "Fine. We'll be docking in an hour."

* * *

The port town was not as bustling or lively as ones she had been in previously, but it instead held a quaint, familial feeling that was quickly picked up on as Katara and Zuko exited the Fire Nation ship. As soon as the duo began walking through the small market, they were met with distrustful glares, mostly directed towards Zuko and his army uniform.

Katara took it in stride though, revealing she was from the Southern Water Tribe and they were there to pick up supplies. Slowly the villagers warmed up to her, though not so much the prince that was accompanying her.

At one point during their browsing, a calm man strolled in, an umbrella under his arm and a small smile on his face. He approached the two, and handed Katara the umbrella.

"You will be needing this."

"Umm… Thank you?"

Zuko cast a wary eye over the man, before asking the obvious question. "Why did you just hand her that?"

"It is going to start raining. My home is right here, but you two are obviously not from around."

"And how do you know that?"

The man smiled a little more. "I have just come from a journey. Aunt Wu predicted I would be safe, and so I was. She also warned me it would begin raining when I arrived home."

"Aunt Who?"

"No, Aunt Wu. She's the fortuneteller from my village. Awful nice knowing your future." And with that, the man strolled into a nearby house, looking as content as he had before.

Zuko snorted loudly and crossed his arms over his chest. "What a bunch of-" As soon as the words were out of the Firebender's mouth, it started to pour.

"That proves it." Katara told him, already standing underneath the umbrella. Zuko stubbornly set his jaw and stood in the rain.

"No it doesn't. You can't really tell the future."

"I guess you're not really getting wet then."

"Of course she predicted it would rain. The sky's been gray all day."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Just admit you might be wrong and you can come under the umbrella."

"Look, I'm going to predict the future now." He looked up at the sky and said in his most authoritative voice, "It's going to keep drizzling. See?"

The rain suddenly stopped.

"You were saying?" She asked sardonically. Zuko's face twitched in annoyance. Katara sighed and folded up the umbrella. "Here, come here so I can dry you off." He started to protest, but Katara swept her hands over his armor and took the water from his clothes.

They continued down the main road, where vendors were beginning to set up shop again. As Katara looked at some fruits and Zuko sulked, a messenger in green and black ran up to the cart.

"Aunt Wu is expecting you."

Zuko snorted again. Katara narrowed her eyes in his direction, but otherwise ignored him. "Really?"

They followed the messenger to one of the main houses at the end of the path. A door opened to reveal a three person waiting room with some sort of puff in a bowl. As the messenger closed the door behind them, a girl around Katara's age wearing pink robes came into the room and greeted them.

"My name is Dee and I'm Aunt Wu's assistant." Dee's eyes immediately widened as she noticed the moody Fire Prince looking anywhere but at her. Katara noticed the girl scanning over Zuko's unscarred side and she suddenly felt very, very territorial. "Well hello there." She flirtatiously greeted him.

Zuko looked as if he had just noticed her fawning and was extremely uncomfortable about it. "Uh… Hello."

"Can I get you some tea, or some of Aunt Wu's special bean curd puffs?"

"Some tea, please," Katara kindly asked. Dee turned to her and gave her a once over.

"Just a second." Katara's jaw dropped in indignation as the girl turned back to Zuko. "So what's your name?"

"Uh… Lee?"

"That rhymes with Dee! And you've got a pretty big ponytail, don't you?"

Zuko looked increasingly uncomfortable. "I… guess…?"

"Well Lee, it is very nice to meet you. _Very_ nice."

"Like… wise?"

Dee exited out of the room, but stopped around the corner to give Zuko and not so subtle wink. Katara fumed.

"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense."

"Try to keep an open mind, Zuko. Or should I say _Lee_?" Zuko caught her tone but ignored it, choosing instead to roll his eyes in regards to the overly intrusive girl who was walking around the fortuneteller's house. "There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into your future?"

"I already know my future."

That annoyed Katara. "Well, not all of us are so fortunate, Mr. Future Fire Lord." Dee chose this moment to reappear, carrying two cups of tea on a small tray before a young woman in green rushed towards the younger girl.

"Oh Dee! Aunt Wu says I'm going to meet my true love! He's going to give me a rare panda lily."

"That's so romantic." Dee looked over her shoulder Zuko, who of course was oblivious. But Katara saw it and her eyes narrowed at the other girl. "I wonder if my true love will give me a rare flower."

"Good luck with that." The prince instead muttered.

The young woman stage whispered to Dee. "Is that the ponytail guy who Aunt Wu predicted you'd marry?"

Dee pushed the other girl out of the room, but in the process nearly spilled the tray of tea. Zuko helped steady her and she caught his gaze as his hands held onto hers before he scowled, feeling awkward, and released his grip. Katara fumed silently.

"Enjoy your snack!" Dee half shouted before running from the room. An older woman suddenly appeared in her wake.

"Welcome young travelers. Now, who's next? Don't be shy." Zuko stared disinterestedly out of the nearest window. With a sigh directed towards him, Katara rose.

"I guess that's me."

Katara followed the older woman into what could only be the reading room and sat down on one of the pillows between a small fire as the woman joined her.

Zuko was getting restless. And he kept seeing that annoying girl walking by the sitting room. With another sip of his horrendous tea, he got up with a sigh to find the nearest restroom. Rounding one of the corners, he heard voices coming from one of the rooms, recognizing Katara's immediately.

"Your palms are so smooth – do you use moisturizer?"

"Actually, I have this special seaweed lotion. I could get you some if you want." He rolled his eyes in disdain over the simple woman talk before proceeding to the bathroom. But he couldn't help but stop when he heard Katara's next words. "So, do you see anything interesting in my love line?"

He shouldn't have listened, but he was rooted to the spot. His mind screamed to move, but his body wouldn't follow. "I feel great romance for you. Someone who you have close to you now. The man you're going to marry..."

"Tell me more!" Katara's excited voice rang out.

"I can see that he is a very powerful bender."

Zuko's brow furrowed. _That probably means the Avatar. _Feeling strange, he continued to his original destination before returning to the waiting room.

Katara was thrilled to know about her future, but she was having trouble deciphering it. She knew there plenty of "powerful benders", but which one could it be? With those thoughts in mind, she turned the corner to see a stony faced Zuko watching a part of the wall intently.

"Ready to go in?"

His head snapped up at the sound of her voice. "Uh… No. Like I said, I already know my future."

She rolled her eyes at the young man, but let him escort her out.

"Hey, Zuko? I need to ask you something." She felt him stiffen beside her. "Where were you last night?"

Watching him, she saw his eyebrow twitch and his jaw lock, but he didn't answer. Finally, he muttered, "Not right now."

Not the answer she wanted, but still a promise to hear it. The two soon grew bored- the town was only so big, and they had more or less seen it all. Iroh soon joined them, telling about the tea he had tried as the ship was being repaired.

Zuko finally sighed and ran a hand over his scalp. "I think I'm going to go back to the ship. I need to relax for a while."

He stalked away, hands in fists. Katara sighed and began to follow him. Once on the ship again, she laid down for a nap and awoke to news that bridge was repaired.

As the motors began and her sea legs returned, Katara made her way to the upper deck to catch some of the winds the ship was causing and get some fresh air.

After a time, she made her way to the galley, where she could hear Zuko shouting four doors down.

"Well why didn't get more food when we were last docked?!" He yelled at a Fire Nation soldier.

"Uh, Prince Zuko, w-we were so intent on fixing the ship that it escaped our notice."

Zuko growled, released some steam, and turned towards his dinner, fuming. Katara warily joined him and asked what was going on.

"Just ever present incompetence." He mumbled under his breath angrily before saying, "We're going to have to dock again. My crew decided necessary supplies were unimportant at the last stop."

Shortly afterward, the ship came to another stop. As crew members left to get food until the next designated port, Zuko and Katara stayed on board, Zuko releasing his stress through practicing his forms.

As he brought his sleeveless arm down from above his head, suddenly a giant mole climbed on the deck.

"Everybody stay back! We're after a stowaway." A young woman dressed in black called out.

Zuko was incensed. "There are no stowaways on my ship!"

To add to his anger, the monster peeled back a section of the deck, and revealed a man hiding down below. The man ran out and onto the deck, only to have the mole flick its tongue out and hit him. The man fell down instantly.

"He's paralyzed," Katara stated, horrified.

The woman picked up the stowaway and tossed him on the mole's back. "Only temporarily. The toxins'll wear off in about an hour. But by then he'll be in jail and I'll have my money."

"But how did you find him on my ship?"

Patting the monster, she replied, "My shirshu can smell a rat a mile away."

Iroh had come up from below deck during the scuffle. "Well I'm impressed." The woman jumped back on the shirshu, cracked her whip, and was gone. Iroh turned, stroking his beard. "Very impressed."

* * *

Zuko had decided to stay at the bustling port city one more day to get the ship repaired. He and Iroh had gone into town to "take care of some business", leaving Katara to fend for herself onboard. She had gotten a snack and tucked herself into the library hours ago, reading any and every story that seemed interesting.

Finally she heard the squeaking of metal doors, signaling Zuko and Iroh had returned. She put her current story on hold to go greet the men.

Iroh looked jovial as ever. Zuko looked angry. Way more than angry.

The teen stormed to his room, slamming the metal door behind him. Katara looked quizzically back at Iroh. "We have had a funny day," he said by way of explanation. "Go and talk to him."

Katara gave him a wary look, but proceeded down the hallway to Zuko's room. She knocked tentatively. "Come in," the prince replied tersely.

Never having been in his room before, Katara was surprised by the sheer size of it. It was like hers, but much more ornate. His bed and dresser were larger. There was an altar the prince was meditating at. A picture of a woman who greatly resembled him was on a side table next to his bed.

Without preamble, he began. "Aside from the helping the Avatar, what do you want?"

"I want to go to the North Pole and learn from the masters." She replied, taking a seat on the floor next to him. Zuko slightly smiled, his eyes still closed.

"I think we can do that," he murmured. Katara's eyes widened in surprise. "Before you go, the Avatar wanted you to have something."

"What? Did you see Aang and Sokka?! Zuko-"

He cut her off by taking out her necklace. "Here, let's get it on you." Her momentary anger was forgotten. He may not have seen them, anyway, and was just using that introduction as an excuse to do something nice. She raised her hair as his eyes opened, and she felt his warmth caress her neck as his fingers tied the trinket.

"Something to remind you of home as we head to the North Pole."

Katara couldn't help it. Instead of saying "thank you", she leaned over and planted a quick kiss on the prince's unscarred cheek. He stiffened immediately, but she didn't care.

Katara was on the way to her ultimate dream- heading to the North Pole and having the opportunity to become a Master.

* * *

Well hey again! I'm back from my little hiatus. School's officially out for me until August.

Unfortunately, he's not JUST being nice. (As we know from watching the series.) But hey, the jerk doesn't still have her necklace!

See you soon. Leave me love, it may get me a bit more motivated to update tomorrow or Friday. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

Zuko was staring out over the expanse of blue. More like glaring, he knew, but didn't quite care. His mind was racing with what would be happening in the coming days.

He had always had a hunch that the Avatar would be heading north, especially now that his only source for any sort of instruction was in Zuko's hands. But after the short battle against the boy and his remaining side kick, that hunch was solidified.

The Avatar and the Water Tribe boy were heading towards the North Pole.

And so were he and Katara.

He knew Katara wasn't so foolish as to believe the only reason they were headed towards the icy tundra was because he wanted her to learn Waterbending. And he knew she knew his ship would not be accepted through the Water Tribe's outer defenses. But Zhao was on his way as well- and in faster, better equipped, and manned by the elite of Fire Nation soldiers, ships.

But Zuko was farther north than the massive fleet Zhao was currently amassing. He would reach the Northern Water Tribe first, and do what he had to do. He would lie in wait, allow Katara to learn from the masters for a little while- it was the least he could do considering what he had planned- and strike when the time was right. The lunar eclipse was approaching. Zhao would make his strike then. And so would he.

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Katara knew something was coming. She could feel it. But the fact that she was headed on a ship- Fire Nation or not- to the North Pole excited her past the point of caring.

She also knew that Zuko could not just direct his ship to the Water Tribe's front doorstep like he had done when he visited hers, and she knew he had something up his sleeve. It concerned her enough to quell her excitement that he may have been planning something, something she was sure she wouldn't approve of. They would have to talk soon about what his ideas were.

Talking. That was something they hadn't done all day, much to her chagrin. After the chaste kiss she had left him with, he had been sullen and withdrawn, staring out at the ocean or practicing. There was no way of telling what was going on in his head.

At dinner she saw him again. She and Iroh were having a lovely conversation about the places he had travelled to in his lifetime. At one point Iroh had asked what was wrong with him, and Zuko only replied, "Just thinking."

When their meal came to a close, Zuko spoke again. "Katara, can we go talk?"

She nodded and followed him to the upper deck. She could tell they were near the arctic circle- the winds were high and the temperature was low, much lower now that the sun had gone down. She would give anything to have her parka. Zuko, however, looked perfectly at ease, probably because he was so warm as it was.

Said Firebender took position at his usual spot on the railing, surveying the now black waters as he had so often in his three years at sea. Katara followed suit, flanking him on the right.

"I know where your brother and the Avatar are." Katara gasped. While it didn't come as much of a surprise given Zuko's track record at finding them in the past, it still shocked her because she knew where this conversation was leading. "They're at the last port town in the Earth Kingdom before the North Pole. I'm going to take you there and let you off. You can join up with them then." His voice hadn't changed its intonation since he began speaking. It was all one monotone.

She put a hand on his muscular shoulder to divert his attention from the water, but he turned abruptly on his heel and stalked, stiff backed, into the bowels of the ship.

His reaction had her worried. What exactly was he thinking? Wasn't he happy to be finally rid of her after the weeks they were forced to be together? Whatever it was, she could tell he would not open up about it. Instead, he would be his typical self- quiet, scowling, and lashing out at anybody who tried to help.

Zuko had grown on her. Katara knew there were feelings that were beginning towards him, and she would miss him. Not necessarily the Zuko who repeatedly chased she and her friends day in and day out, but the Zuko who was pensive, who awoke as the dawn would break to work out or meditate or practice his forms. The Zuko who would clench his fists and flex his jaw when he was annoyed, like he so often was. The Zuko who was arrogant, who got angry in an instant, who argued with her in his hard headed way. The Zuko who came out in flashes- the awkward teenager who was uncomfortable with personal touches, but allowed her to put her hand on his arm, to give him a hug, to give him a swift kiss on the cheek. The Zuko who had a vulnerable, frightened side, but would not allow anybody to see it.

Because underneath his hard, tough exterior, that's all he was- a teenager just like her. He's not the person trying to hunt down the Avatar, he's not even the crowned prince of the Fire Nation. He's a teenager who has had too much thrown at him and was trying to make the transition from boy to man.

A brilliant idea lit up her mind. Aang needed a Firebending teacher. Zuko had learned from the best. Aang could learn from him.

Katara could vouch for him, and tell her brother and Aang how Zuko had treated her as well as he had. She would do that. What could go wrong? Maybe it would stop whatever it was Zuko was planning regarding the North Pole, too. It was a win-win-win situation.

She had hopes for the scarred boy. She knew he would be exactly who he was supposed to become. She knew him, knew his personality, his temperament. No matter what she didn't know about him, she knew he was a good person.

It was then she knew she had kept her promise to herself, while finding a bond that, while not reciprocated, was strong nonetheless.

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The Fire Nation ship pulled smoothly into port, cutting through the waves with ease. This was it. Katara was going to see Sokka and Aang again and try to convince Zuko to join them.

She was packing her minimal things when a soft knock alerted her to Iroh's presence.

"Are you ready to see everybody again?"

She nodded. "I've missed them. I don't know though, I think I'll miss the hot showers and meals more than sleeping outside and staying with a couple of smelly boys," she joked lightly. Iroh smiled in response. "Iroh, could I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"If I-" she paused for a moment, wondering if she should go through with it anyway. Maybe Zuko wouldn't be able to understand her request, though she could easily. "If I ask Zuko to come with us, do you think he would?"

The old general stroked his beard quietly for a moment, contemplating his response. "Prince Zuko does what he thinks is right, no matter if it truly is or not."

Before she was able to question his words, said prince made an appearance in her doorway. "Are you ready?" She nodded. "Okay. I'll be on the dock." He turned quickly and was out of sight again.

Katara turned to Iroh and threw her arms around his large midsection. "Thank you. I appreciate everything, Iroh, really."

The aging man chucked briefly and patted her back. "Oh, it was my pleasure, Miss Katara. I enjoyed having someone I could share my stories with over a hot cup of tea. Please come back any time you would like to."

They separated and Iroh brought her towards the docks. As she stepped foot on the wood, he turned to walk back on the ship, before turning again and waving with a gentle smile on his face. Katara waved once and turned to the young man before her, who had his armor off and had one of his royal outfits on.

As they walked through the town's main square, he was silent. She assumed it was because of the whispers they were getting and the distrustful stares his red and black outfit was receiving.

At last they heard of Aang and Sokka. The duo was in one of the local cafes, trying to decide the best way to approach the chief of the Northern Water Tribe once they got there.

The café was a few doors down from where Katara and Zuko currently were. Her excitement grew as she neared, especially when she saw Sokka poring over a map while eat some sort of meat, and Aang's bald, tattooed head faced away from her through the window. Zuko saw it too. He stiffened beside her, more so than he had been any time that she had ever seen. He had gone rigid.

Katara took a longer stride ahead of him and placed a hand against his hard chest. He stopped, and she dropped her bag and flung her arms around his neck.

If it was possible, he stiffened even further.

"Thank you, Zuko." After a minute, he let out a deep breath and wrapped his rigid arms around her back. They stayed that way for a long moment. She was surprised- for as uncomfortable as she could tell he was, Zuko stuck it out. He didn't move to pull away, or to talk, but he was there.

"Come with us," she whispered.

He went to reply, but it was stuck in his throat after a loud, "GET OFF OF MY SISTER!" broke through the air. Katara jumped away from Zuko's warmth to see an angry Sokka coming through the café door and charging towards the two. She launched herself at his thin body before he could move any further towards Zuko. Aang came out a moment later, and realizing what was happening, dove for Katara and Sokka.

They were together again, sharing a much needed group hug. As soon as it was over, Sokka's inquisition began.

"Did he hurt you?! Did he touch you?! What did he do to you? Why were you there for so long?! Did he keep you locked up?! Were you able to Waterbend at all?! But most importantly, did he touch you?! I'll kill the son-"

"SOKKA!" He stopped his tirade immediately and shrank as his sister's lethal gaze settled upon him. "No, he did not 'touch' me. He and his uncle were nothing but gentlemen. They gave me nice clothes, three squares, a hot shower, an actual _bed, _my own room, I was able to Waterbend, and I actually enjoyed myself. Right, Zuko?" She turned to look for the Prince's support, but he was gone. Katara couldn't help the stab of disappointment she felt as she watched the now empty spot where he had been just minutes ago.

"Wait, you ENJOYED being there?!"

Katara sighed. "Yes, Sokka. I did. It was a nice escape from reality. And Zuko's not bad once you get to know him."

Sokka looked dumbfounded. How could his little sister be saying such things? She enjoyed being around the snooty _Fire Prince_?!

"Oh, close your mouth, Sokka. I'm allowed to enjoy myself every once in a blue moon too, you know." He blubbered, but before he could say his retort, Katara turned to the young monk beside him.

"So, Aang, when are we getting to the North Pole?"

The boy let a large smile cross his face. "It's good to have you back, Katara."

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**Well, here we are! Zuko and Katara aren't living with one another any more, for the time being at least! **

**It's been all fun and games so far, but now the real adventure begins.**

**Next time is the Siege of the North. I hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Thank you all so much for the reviews/favorites! It's nice knowing people are interested, really. And I'll tell you what, reviews make me update quicker! ;)**

**Until next time, folks.**


	6. Chapter 6

The wind whipped through Katara's hair as Appa swam slowly through the arctic waters. She thought she had missed this, but now that she was once again exposed to the elements and her brother and best friend she longed for her private room and dark red bedspread onboard Zuko's ship. If not for comfort, then for just a LITTLE privacy.

Yeah, she had been spoiled for those few weeks.

"When are we going to be there?" Sokka cut through her thoughts.  
It was a good question. They had been flying for two days straight since leaving the Earth Kingdom port, and so far there hadn't been any sign of the Northern Water Tribe.

"I have an idea, maybe we can all get on your back and you can fly us there faster than Appa can?" Aang snapped back.

"I'd love to! Climb on everyone, Sokka's ready for takeoff!"

"Sokka, sit down. Look, we're all just a little tired and cranky because we've been flying for two days straight."

"And for what?! We can't even find the Northern Water Tribe. There's nothing up here." Her brother retorted.

As soon as he had finished, a deafening crack was heard and a block of ice headed towards Appa. Aang started screaming and jerked Appa to the right, who lifted back into the air and rolled onto his side. Katara and Sokka yelled out and grabbed onto his saddle. With white knuckles they held on for a few harrowing seconds until another jet of ice came towards the bison and they banked to the right until Appa lurched and splashed once again into the freezing water. No other attack came their way, and after they all caught their breath, they saw multiple men wearing the telltale blues and whites of the Water Tribes surrounding Appa on wooden skiffs.

"They're Waterbenders! We found the Water Tribe!" Katara shouted excitedly.

* * *

After introducing themselves to the Waterbenders, the gang was lead to the outer entrance of the Tribe.

Aang stood up suddenly and pointed ahead. "There it is!"

The outer portion of the Tribe finally came into view. Sun reflected off the white of the snow and ice, which had been formed into a protective wall with towers and turrets for defense purposes lining it and a huge Water Tribe logo etched into the ice.

"The Northern Water Tribe..." Katara had been dreaming of this moment for years. But now that she was actually here and seeing the sister tribe she had only heard stories of, she was awestruck.

Sokka was too. "We're finally here."

The crew on one of the skiffs Waterbended an entrance into the great wall. One of the benders looked back to the group and motioned for them to follow them into the tunnel. The tunnel opened into a little square lock, which another group of benders aligned and forced the water to open up a pair of gates. The water level began to rise and the main wall began to lower.

"I can't believe how many Waterbenders live up here!"

Aang nodded. "We'll find a master to teach us, no problem!"

The channel began to widen as the city finally came into view. Ice and packed snow were carved ornately into houses, businesses, and restaurants where canals cut between them. There were walkways crossing over the canals. On one, a boy and his father were watching the procession as they ventured through the city. Small crowds began gathering on the sides and watching. Aang, completely in his element, smiled widely and waved their way.

Waterfalls and fountains adorned the city streets they passed. At one point, another boat passed with a Waterbender guiding it and a young lady with white hair and a purplish parka perched on a raised seat. Sokka noticed her and stared as she passed, even getting up and running down Appa's tail to watch her boat continue and turn a corner.

"This place is beautiful," Katara murmured.

Sokka, still watching, dreamily murmured back, "Yeah, she is."

* * *

The procession eventually reached the middle of the city and disembarked at an ornately designed plaza, where Tribesmen were beating rhythmically on traditional kettle drums as they approached the middle of the square. Onlookers were situated on huge pews of ice. The Tribe's dignitaries were standing in welcome on steps to the city hall. Some attendants brought Appa a plate of food, only to run away screaming when he roared his thanks. They proceeded into the hall for the celebratory feast, where the Tribe's chief was situated at the head of a long table. A crowd had gathered in the dining hall to welcome the guests as they entered and sat at their respective places.

Chief Arnook stood to address his crowd. "Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sister from the Southern Tribe, and they have brought with them someone very special, someone whom many of us believed disappeared from the world until now." He motioned towards Aang, and when he did the crowd roared. "The Avatar! We also celebrate my daughter's sixteenth birthday. Princess Yue is now of marrying age."

The chief turned to introduce his daughter, the same girl who was on the boat earlier, flanked by two attendants. Sokka's eyes widened when she began to speak.

"Thank you, father. May the great Ocean and Moon Spirits watch over us during these troubled times."

"Now Master Pakku and his students will perform!"

Three men approached the dais and put on a short display of their Waterbending. Sokka though, preoccupied with the princess, ignored them and the cheers of the crowd to approach her.

"Hi, there. Sokka, Southern Water Tribe," he introduced, trying to sound smooth.

The princess smiled and bowed slightly before responding. "Very nice to meet you."

His train of thought had completely vanished with her smile, and suddenly things were pouring out "So... uh... you're a Princess! You know, back in my tribe, I'm kind of like a Prince myself!"

Yue couldn't help smiling at his antics, especially when his sister laughed sarcastically and started messing with him.

"Ha! Prince of what?"

"A lot of things! Uh, do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here!"

Katara rolled her eyes at her brother and dropped in a mock bow. "My apologies, Prince Sokka."

Sokka was starting to get embarrassed by his floundering, but he continued on. "So it looks like I'm going to be in town for a while. I'm thinking maybe we could..." He trailed off as he realized he was making a fool of himself yet again. "…do an activity together?"

"Do an 'activity'?"

Sokka was starting to sweat. He hadn't had any experience doing this before! And Dad was gone by the time Sokka was thirteen and with no girls around except Katara and three year olds, how was he supposed to know what to do?! And speaking of Katara, she was no help, either!

"Very smooth."

* * *

The days flew by at the Northern Water Tribe. Each of the teens had their own struggles they were trying to or had overcome- Sokka with Yue, Aang with learning Waterbending, and Katara with even getting the chance to bend because of the different societal roles women had compared to their own tribe in the South.

However, she overcame it. She challenged Aang's master, Pakku, who she learned in his near defeat was her grandmother's former fiancé. Her determination and familial ties allowed her to begin her training with Master Pakku. She excelled quickly and put the others- Aang included- to shame.

She hardly thought about Zuko until she heard of the explosion.

Fishermen and traders brought the news from the small Earth Kingdom town she and the others had been to, where she had seen Zuko last. Pirates had infiltrated the area that evening. The captain, the same one she had come into contact with those weeks ago, and his crew came to one of the local eateries and terrorized customers and the owners for free food and information. Then, late that night, a smaller Fire Navy ship had erupted into flames and the pirates disappeared.

Katara was horrified. She hoped it wasn't Zuko's ship, or if it was, that he, Iroh, and the rest of the crew were safe. The more details that emerged, the larger the uneasy pit growing in her stomach became.

As if that wasn't worry enough for her, Chief Arnook had summoned Katara, Aang, his closest advisors and friends, and some of the fishermen into his hall. Sokka and Princess Yue weren't among them. As the men spoke, they realized what the meeting was about.

Admiral Zhao was building a fleet, one witnesses from the south said was massive in size, manned only with the elite of the Fire Nation Navy and Army naval and ground troops. And it was headed to the Northern Water Tribe's doorstep. The rumors, though unconfirmed, were that the fleet was bound to arrive within two days.

Sokka and Yue ran through the doors of the hall with alarmed faces. The meeting came to a pause at their appearance, and a deathly silence fell over the throng when Sokka opened his gloved hand and shoved it towards Chief Arnook and the others. In his palm was a lump of snow. But the snow wasn't normal. Katara gasped at its appearance, and the other men's faces tightened. Aang was the only one who looked confused.

The snow was gray. Soot had mixed in with the snow before it fell. That only happened when a Fire Nation raid was fast approaching.

Sokka still explained, despite the understanding of the others. "It's the Fire Nation. They've closed in on the North Pole." He looked out the window, and everyone's gaze followed. What was once pure white and had the sun's rays reflecting off of it was now being covered with the sooty snow and a large gray cloud could be seen over the horizon. People were looking to the skies and over the water, trying to determine what was happening.

"And by the looks of the stuff, I'd say there's a lot of them."

* * *

Preparations for the coming invasion began immediately. Arnook spoke to his people, alerting them to the coming danger and the possibility of not coming home if they volunteered to fight. Many young men, benders and non-benders, Sokka included, bore the three red marks on their foreheads to signify that they would fight.

Benders were lined up and ready for the battle. The men were trying to further solidify the great ice wall that separated the city and the rest of the world, and the women were preparing their remedies and water needed for healing the injured that were sure to come.

Everything they could do for now was ready. All that could be done is to wait. Aang, Katara, and Chief Arnook stood along the outer wall, squinting out over the vast ocean, waiting for the first of the Fire Nation ships to appear on the horizon.

"The stillness before a battle is unbearable. Such a quiet dread."

Aang looked tortured for a moment before his expression became fierce. "I wasn't there when the Fire Nation attacked my people. I'm going to make a difference this time."

All seemed calm and quiet on such a beautiful sunny day. The only thing that said differently was the row of Water Tribe warriors lined up on top of the city wall, unrecognizable in their war paint. A battalion of warriors were surrounding Aang, Appa, Katara, and Sokka, all of them looking out to the ocean. Suddenly a single ship was seen as a dot far on the horizon, only to take form as a massive Fire Navy ship as it came closer and more in focus. Everybody stiffened. Time stopped for a single moment until a ball of red and orange flew and hit the center of the city wall. The battle had begun.

* * *

Another fireball hurled through the air and landed in a canal in a huff of steam. More fireballs catapulted at the city's main wall, striking and causing destruction wherever they landed.

Aang jumped on Appa and took off in the direction of the ship. Katara and Sokka looked on helplessly as Aang jumped off the bison's back and landed on the ship, fighting with the soldiers below. There was nothing they could do until Zhao made land. For the meantime, Waterbenders took their skiffs out into the ocean and immobilized the ship. It seemed like a great victory until the rest of the fleet came into view.

The full extent of the massive size of the infiltrating navy hit the remaining fighters. More than one hundred ships came into view, smokestacks puffing black, the unmistakable pointed steel of the Fire Nation gleaming in the remaining sunlight.

As the ships caught up with their leader, the assault magnified tenfold. Fireballs were coming from all directions, and the joint support of the Waterbenders couldn't stop them all.

But as soon as the flames had started, they stopped. They could hear as the ship's anchors fell into the dark water and rooted themselves for part two of the battle.

Despite the confusion on the warriors' faces, Katara knew why. She remembered the words Zuko had uttered to her when they were getting angry at one another and were about to fight during her tenure on his ship. "_You rise with moon; I rise with the sun_." As twilight fast approached, the navy stopped their onslaught, knowing if they continued they would lose.

There was no victor and loser that day. The battle was just beginning. As dawn came, Zhao would unleash everything he had on the Northern Water Tribe. Aang, Katara, and Yue knew it as they stood together silently. Aang had to come up with a solution, and fast.

"The Spirits! Maybe I can find them and get their help!"

Yue looked confused. "How can you do that?"

"The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the Spirit World. Aang can talk to them!"

Yue smiled hopefully. "Maybe they'll give you the wisdom to win this battle!"

"Or, maybe they'll unleash a crazy amazing spirit attack on the Fire Nation!" It was times like these, even with all they had been through, that Katara was hit with how much of a child Aang still was. "Or wisdom. That's good too."

She sighed mentally at his antics before remembering the incident during the lunar eclipse. "The only problem is, last time you got to the Spirit World by accident. How are you going to get there this time?"

"I have an idea, follow me."

Yue led them to a small portal behind the great citadel. The wooden door opened up into a large oasis complete with a small meditation pond surrounded by a grassy knoll. It was beautiful. The night air was alive and warm, warm enough for them to shed their parkas and discard them on the grass.

"Yue, it's so… tranquil," Aang sighed contentedly, lying down on the plush grass in front of the koi pond.

He sat up suddenly, legs crossed and hands together, like he remembered all of a sudden what he was there for. It was the perfect place for him to meditate and try to get into the Spirit World. Except…

"Why is he sitting like that?"

"He's meditating, trying to cross over into the Spirit World. It takes all his concentration."

Hopefully that was the end of the conversation. But of course not.

"Is there any way we can help?"

"How about some quiet?!" He turned his body to look at them, mad that they continued talking when he needed silence. "Come on guys, I can hear every word you're saying!"

He resumed his position, not knowing what exactly it would take to get into the Spirit World. From where the girls were standing, they suddenly saw his blue tattoo covering his neck and the back of his head turn blue.

"Is he okay?" Yue asked, alarmed.

"He's crossing into the Spirit World. He'll be fine as long as we don't move his body. That's his way back to the physical world."

"Maybe we should get some help?" Yue began walking away like she had seen something Katara hadn't. A moment later, she knew what that something was.

"No, he's my friend. I'm perfectly capable of protecting him."

She heard the smirk in his voice before she saw him. "Well, aren't you a big girl now?"

Turning to the sound the voice had come from, she saw a white clad Fire Prince stalking towards her. The rush of happiness she felt took over any concern she had had about him probably being there to take Aang away. "Zuko!"

A tight half grimace, half smile passed over his lips. It was only then that she saw the state that he was in. Bruises lined his face, his knuckles were cut, and a few minor burns covered the parts of his arms she could see. "What happened to you?!"

"It's nice seeing you, too."

"Zuko, tell me!"

He rolled his eyes once before coming a little closer to her. "It seems our dear friend Zhao had our old acquaintances the pirates try to kill me." She gasped in horror. It was his ship. "I was the only one on board. They planned it that way. But they don't know how hard I am to get rid of."

Instinctively, she drew up a little water from the pond and grabbed one of his hands to heal his wounds. He stiffened as usual but watched in fascination as the water glowed and the cuts and burns were gone. After doing that to his other Katara reached for his face but he turned away. "Don't."

She understood. The last people to touch his face were probably doctors, and the one before that was his father. "I'm just happy you're okay. We heard about the explosion and I kept thinking it was you, but…"

He nodded once. After a pause, the true reason he was there was revealed. "So how do you want to do this, Katara? Dawn will be here soon. You can either delay the inevitable and have Zhao take him, or give him to me."

Her temper flared. There was no way she would just let Zuko walk out of here with Aang, especially with the boy sitting as defenseless as he was. She dropped into a stance, drawing water from the koi pond around her arms.

Zuko dropped, too. "Hand him over and I won't have to hurt you."

"Not like you would anyway, right?" His eyebrow twitched before he launched three fireballs her way, all of which she blocked with ease. He kept advancing and blasting and she kept blocking before she finally knocked him on his back.

"I see you've learned a new trick. But I haven't come this far to lose to you."  
He got up and hurled another blast of fire her way, but she knocked him down again, this time freezing the water around him. Then, to prove her point, she froze him in a sphere of ice.

Zuko understood. "Well, look at that. You've found a master, haven't you?"  
The ice around him shook and turned a yellowish orange before splitting and freeing him. He promptly charged her way, nearly grabbing Aang in the process, before Katara, who had finally had enough, took a jet of water and pushed him against the wall and froze him in place once again.

Zuko's head dropped in defeat. Again he had failed. He wasn't going home. _Failure_, _failure, failure…_ He could practically hear his father's and Azula's voices chanting the words in his head.

Until he felt the stirring in the pit of his stomach. A stirring he had felt every morning for nearly seventeen years.

Warmth passed over the exposed part of his face as the rising sun began to heat the earth. With a growl, Zuko melted the ice around him.

Katara had her back to him. But she sensed him coming closer and turned around just in time to be knocked down. She looked back up to see Zuko, illuminated from behind by the rising sun, his hand on Aang's collar.

"What did I tell you? You rise with the moon. I rise with the sun."

Her eyes drifted to a close.

* * *

"Aang!"

They were gone, probably long gone.

And she was _pissed_.

But at that moment, Sokka and Yue landed and hopped off Appa, so she would have to control the anger she felt, at least until she saw Zuko again.

"What happened? Where's Zuko?"

"He took Aang. Took him right out from under me."

"Where did they go?"

* * *

"I can't believe I lost him."

Sokka put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You did everything you could and now we need to do everything we can to get him back. "

As Sokka led Yue over Appa, Katara's emotions got the best of her. She trusted him, and this is what happened due to that. And she was mad at herself. She should have protected Aang better. Before she could control it, tears began leaking from Katara's eyes.

"Zuko can't have gotten far. We'll find him. Aang's going to be fine."

Katara got up, using it as an excuse to inconspicuously wipe her eyes. "Okay."

She walked by Momo, who was sadly staring out over the two koi fish in the pond, chattering to himself quietly. It broke her heart. "It's all right. You stay here, Momo, in case Aang comes back."

At Sokka's direction, Appa launched himself into the air and out of the warm sanctuary they had just been in out into the cold, barren wasteland of the top of the world. Ice dunes littered the way as snowing poured from the dark, gray sky above.

They scanned the ground for hours to no avail. Katara could feel that the sun had gone down once again, her only indication of how long they had been searching. Snow was pounding them and near gale force winds were making the temperatures drop even further and causing their visibility to decrease, too.

"Don't worry! Prince Zuko can't be getting too far in this weather."

That's the problem, Katara thought. "I'm not worried they'll get away in the blizzard. I'm worried that they won't."

"They're not going to die in this blizzard. If we know anything it's that Zuko never gives up. They'll survive – and we'll find them!"

Sokka had a point. It wasn't in Zuko's nature to give up without a fight.  
Especially now that he had Aang, Katara knew there would be nothing stopping him from trying to get back to the Fire Nation as quickly as possible.

Just as she was getting lost in her concern- over them both- a flash of blue flew over Appa's back. She knew in her gut what it meant. "Look! That's got to be Aang!"

The flash landed inside a nearby cave, lighting it up for a brief moment. Sokka steered Appa towards the cave and landed just as Zuko came out, carrying Aang. He dropped the boy as Katara jumped off Aang's back and dropped in a stance.

"Here for a rematch?"

"Trust me, Zuko; it's not going to be much of a match."

He flung a fireball her way, only for her to block it and raise him in a pillar of snow, knocking him out as it dropped back to the ground.

"Hey, this is some quality rope!"

"We need to get to the oasis! The spirits are in trouble!" Aang announced frantically. They all scrambled onto Appa's back again, anxious to get back to the oasis.

"Wait," Katara said. "We can't just leave him."

Sokka disagreed. "Sure we can! Let's go!"

Aang was on her side, though. "No, we can't. If we leave him, he'll die."

He jumped down, hoisted Zuko on his back, and used his bending to bring them both on Appa.

"Yeah, this makes sense. Let's bring the guy who's constantly trying to kill us!"

Katara shot him a look. Sokka understood. He went into a corner by Yue and sulked, muttering to himself sullenly.

* * *

The moon turned red.

Yue was the first to react. "I feel faint."

"I feel it too," Aang voiced from Appa's head, a hand on his own. "The moon spirit is in trouble."

"I owe the moon spirit my life."

"What do you mean?"

Yue launched into the story of her birth and how she was born very ill. Her father took her to the oasis, dipped her in the water, and the moon spirit answered his plea. She was given a bit of the spirit's life that night.

"That's why my mother named me Yue, for the moon."

They finally arrived in the oasis to a horrifying sight. Zhao had the moon spirit, the white koi fish, in a bag, poised to strike.

"Zhao! Don't!"

"It's my destiny... to destroy the Moon... and the Water Tribe."

"Destroying the moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone – including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world."

Katara heard Iroh's voice coming from her right. "He is right, Zhao!"

"General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

Iroh formed a triangle between he, Zhao, and Aang, lowering his hood in the process.

"I'm no traitor, Zhao, the Fire Nation needs the moon too. We all depend on the balance." After a pause, he knew Zhao wasn't going to relinquish his stance or let go of the frantic koi fish in his bag. Iroh raised his hands in anger, poised to strike, and thundered, "Whatever you do to that spirit I'll unleash on you ten-fold! Let it go, _now_!"

The men locked eyes momentarily. But then Zhao faltered and lowered his bag, releasing the fish back into the water to circle around the other fish. The red of the moon leaked away as the natural white returned.

But as he was on his knees, Zhao's face transformed. He stood with a look of desperation and anger, swiping his hand downward and striking the white fish with a blast of fire. It was as if time went half as quickly as it should.

They stood in horror as the moon turned an inky gray.

Iroh immediately sprung to action, crossing the foot bridge that separated he and the others, firing blast after blast. Zhao blocked one before backing away and allowing his foot soldiers to battle the aging general, who took all four of them out with ease.

As the guards struggled to recover it became apparent that Zhao had fled. Iroh dropped to his knees in front of the pond and gently lifted the koi fish, which had a huge gash on its back and had been floating lifelessly as the ocean spirit koi fish swam frantically around it.

"There's no hope now. It's over." Yue was on the verge of tears, as was Katara.

Aang suddenly looked determined. His tattoos glowed white as he entered the Avatar State and his voice combined with past Avatars before him.

"No, it's not over."

Aang stood and walked to the center of the pond, putting his fists together so the arrow points faced each other. Katara reached for him but Iroh stopped her. Aang bowed his head slightly to look at the black koi fish, whose white spot and spine began to glow the same ethereal color, before the pond itself glowed and Aang disappeared below the water.

The entire oasis began to glow. The light spread upwards to encompass the entire city itself, the snow and ice making the light further glow as the water churned.

Aang re-emerged, his body surrounded by water in the shape of the koi fish. He raised his arms and the water followed before he made his way through the city streets in the search of Zhao and any other Fire Nation soldier that was wreaking havoc on the Water Tribe.

Iroh gently placed the dead fish back into the pond, his brows furrowed and a look of concern etched into his features.

"It's too late. It's dead."

Iroh looked to Yue for the first time then, a look of wonder spreading across his face.

"You have been touched by the Moon Spirit. Some of its life is in you!"

"Yes, you're right. It gave me life. Maybe I can give it back."

She stood up with a look of determination and walked to the pond's edge, only to be stopped by a desperate Sokka reaching out for her and grabbing her hand.

"No! You don't have to do that!"

She didn't look his way but grasped his hand in return. "It's my duty, Sokka."

Sokka was becoming more desperate. "I won't let you! Your father told me to protect you!"

"I have to do this," she stated simply, looking up at the sky where the moon had once been.

Yue walked to Iroh, who picked the dead fish up tenderly and offered it to her. She put her hands over it and the fish began to glow. Yue's eyes closed as she fainted, exhaling one last breath and falling into Sokka's arms.

"_No_!"

He placed a gloved hand on her cheek before hugging her tightly and whispering, "She's gone."

Katara and Iroh were silent as they allows Sokka a moment to himself.

Yue's body began glowing brightly until she disappeared and the fish in Iroh's hands began glowing as well. He dropped the fish back into the pool and it began its cycle with the black fish until the pond glowed and an otherworldly mist formed from over the water. The mist took Yue's form, a sad look on her face.

"Goodbye, Sokka. I will always be with you."

She gave him one last kiss before fading away once again. Looking up into the sky, the moon shone brightly and proudly.

Katara went to console her brother, pulling him tight into her embrace. They sat there for what seemed like hours until the sounds of the battle ceased and the sun once again rose high into the sky.

With a shaky breath Sokka stood and led Katara back through the port hole and into the city. The Water Tribe was heavily damaged, but the Fire Nation ships had retreated and were out of sight.

Admiral Zhao had disappeared, presumed to be dead. Zuko and Iroh too were gone, but Katara knew deep down that they were okay and they would cross paths once again.

Sokka put his arm around his sister and gave her a squeeze before he went to stand with Chief Arnook, who was overlooking his city.

Katara saw Pakku standing alone and joined him.

Without preamble, he launched into his plan. "I've decided to go to the South Pole. Some other benders and healers want to join me. It's time we helped rebuild our sister tribe."

"What about Aang?" She turned to the boy, who was playing with Momo in the snow. "He still needs to learn Waterbending."

"Well, then he better get used to calling you 'Master Katara'."

A rush of pride surged through her. After everything that had happened- losing her mother, her father fighting in the war, finding the Avatar, traveling across the globe, spending as much time as she had on the Fire Nation Prince's ship, taking part in an actual battle- she was finally a master.

A satisfied smile spread across Katara's face.

Now that the Water Tribe was once again safe and the mission to find a master complete, it was time to move on. Aang needed an Earthbending teacher next. So they would scour the Earth Kingdom, trying to find who that would be. He would learn Waterbending from Katara in the meantime and finishing becoming a master in that art as well.

They didn't know what would be coming next, but as Katara, Sokka, and Aang stood together with Momo and Appa behind them, they knew they could take and eventually save the world. As long as they had each other.

* * *

I know, I know, I should have had this up a week ago. There was just something that was wrong. I don't know.

Thank you all for the support! I appreciate it more than you guys will ever know.

I realize now I forgot to replace my line breaks! The ever infallible me (TOTALLY kidding) finally made a mistake!

but seriously, I hope I fixed what it was that I thought was wrong. Let me know! :)


	7. Chapter 7

There was nothing more desolate as the Earth Kingdom.

Sure, there were some beautiful spots- like the stronghold they visited immediately after the North Pole (which doesn't count now due to Aang destroying it by doing exactly what the general wanted), the Cave of Two Lovers with its glowing, guiding rocks, (which nagged at Katara as being the cave Iroh had spoken of, confirmed when she and Aang found the couple's burial chamber), and the town where they had found their new counterpart, a young girl with a strong temper and purely boyish outlook of the world.

She had rebelled against her parents before, but after meeting Aang, Toph had finally had enough and ran away. She would teach Aang everything she knew about Earthbending, a talent she had mastered by using her feet. She never allowed being blind to be a handicap; instead, Toph taught herself to use the vibrations in the ground to become a master bender, even becoming an underground world champion known as the Blind Bandit.

But even with that success, the thought of the omnipresent war lingered, especially with the fall of Omashu and the three Fire Nation girls who were never far behind on their path. One was deadly with her knives, one with her ability to take away a person's bending, and the other was just… Lethal. The obvious leader of the group, she was the Firebender, able to control blue flames instead of the typical orange. Katara couldn't help but think of Zuko when she saw the girl- there was something similar in their poses, their haughtiness, the glint in their eyes, and especially their faces. One day, she learned why.

The girl's names were Mai, Ty Lee, and Princess Azula.

It made sense that they looked alike and had the same way of carrying themselves. They probably learned from the same masters as children, and years of palace life taught them the proper ways of walking and being larger than life.

Despite their constant threat, it was not easy to stay hopeful and full of promise like they were when heading to the North Pole. The Earth Kingdom was draining. Except for a few scattered villages and forests, it was all deserts, at least what they had travelled through. The journey to Ba Sing Se was rough. Water and food was scarce during a particularly rough patch when Appa had disappeared. They walked for hours during the cool nights and slept on the sand in the hot days. Zuko being nonexistent during this time was just a symbol of the desolation they were experiencing, even amongst themselves.

They had seen him once during a fight between the gang, he and Iroh, and Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee. At first, Katara was mad at him because of what he did at the North Pole. But once Azula had struck their uncle and Zuko was sitting on the ground in desperation, it melted away, despite him throwing back his arm and sending an arc of fire at her request for help. In a way, Katara missed Zuko. He stood for a lot of things, but right now, mostly normalcy. Without his constant presence, things didn't feel right. Well, they weren't right. What was happening right now was not right. Aang was angry at everyone, Toph was sassier than normal, Sokka was quiet, and Katara couldn't even come up with any words of encouragement, only intervening the random spats that broke out with a, "Guys, it's okay. We'll be there soon."

But would they? They had been hiking for days from the spirit library where they learned of the Fire Nation's weakness during the solar eclipse with virtually no sign of Ba Sing Se.

Their luck changed when Toph stubbed her toe one night, revealing a boat used for transportation by the desert natives. The compass guided them to a giant rock (much to Toph's pleasure) where after a brief fight with some disgusting buzzard... Things, the natives came to investigate. Unfortunately for the chief's son, Toph recognized his voice as the one in charge of the group who had taken Appa. Horrified by his son's actions and Aang's wrath, the chief granted the group an escort to the outskirt town closest to Ba Sing Se.

Gaining passports to go on board the ferry to the great city was easy with Toph's social status, but the young man they met, Than, and his very pregnant wife Ying, had theirs stolen. The group reunited with an old friend, a Kyoshi warrior named Suki, but had no choice but to cross the Serpent's Pass with her help. They came across Fire Nation patrol boats and the Pass's namesake during the life or death journey across the passage. After successfully crossing the path, and the birth of Than and Ying's new daughter, Hope, the group was home clear to continue to the great wall of Ba Sing Se that was now in the near distance.

Aang went away on his glider, hoping to hear any news that locals or refugees might have had of his bison best friend. It seemed with Hope's birth, everybody's spirits were renewed. They were talking and laughing and speculating on the days ahead and the luxuries the city would offer them. At that point, they were even at the base of Ba Sing Se's entrance. All was well until Aang and Momo swooped in on his glider from the direction of the wall ahead.

"Aang, what are you doing here? I thought you were looking for Appa?" Katara was confused. The whole reason they split up in the first place was due to that reason.

"I was, but something stopped me. Something big."

He and Toph immediately got to work on lifting a platform up the wall to reach the military bases at the top.

"Now, what's so big that Appa has to wait?" Sokka asked.

"That," Aang replied, a grimly determined look on his face and a finger pointing in the direction of a drill flanked by tanks on either side, heading towards the stone wall with a red Fire Nation symbol emblazoned on its back.

Despite its defeat, the drill symbolized plenty- that cockiness came at a price, a point which the over confident Earth Kingdom General Sung and his Terra Team learned; that the Fire Nation was constantly waging a war against themselves, even at times when new life came about and new pages of people's stories began; and that Ba Sing Se, no matter how beautiful and safe the city appeared to be, was vulnerable, something which its citizens hadn't had a reminder of since General Iroh's great siege years before.

Throughout their travels, the group has learned plenty about how society and different governments function. The Fire Nation has their Fire Lord along with his counselors and advisors, much like the Water Tribe has its chief and different parts of the Earth Kingdom have their kings or governors.

In all different parts, stereotypes and propaganda have played a large role in how those governments work on a day to day basis. The war is the main source of this, and because of it, how the state's citizens function daily differs, too. Every place they have visited has starkly contrasted the next despite the reasoning behind it. However, there has never been a city more disillusioned that they had visited than Ba Sing Se.

It seemed only the refugees from all over the world knew of the war. The city's secret police force, the Dai Li, and its leader Long Feng, ensured that the two upper tiers of society were unaware of the war waging outside their city's walls. The disillusionment even went as far up the government chain to the city's young leader, King Kuei, who knew nothing of an attack on his city, let alone of a war that had been raging for one hundred years and had more than once stepped foot on his doorstep.

Between trying to educate the brainwashed city of the actual events of the world, the group got a lead on Appa. A young man named Jet had approached them one day and said he had news of Appa's whereabouts. For some reason, Katara didn't immediately trust him, and when Sokka's guard went up, she knew there had to be a good reason. Despite Toph clearing him of any dishonesty, there was something about the boy that made him seem almost dangerous, and as they followed him through the streets of the Lower Tier, Sokka explained.

"When you were with Zuko, we met this guy. He and his gang of misfits were living up in a bunch of tree houses and destroying Fire Nation camps. Which sounds all fine and dandy, but one day they were going to flush the Fire Nation troops out of this one town by lighting blasting jelly and exploding the dam. It would have killed everybody in the village. So don't trust him!"

She nodded and his hand slid from her shoulder. Some probing investigation had yielded nothing but more questions, especially when two members of Jet's gang found them, revealing Jet had been in a fight and then taken by the Dai Li.

Darkness had begun to fall at that time, causing their search to continue at a later time, driven by the residents of the Lower Tier's stories of an indistinguishable youth, dressed in all black, carrying swords, and running around the city wearing a frightening blue mask.

But overall, the city was treating them well. They were able to explore by themselves on their own devices, knowing they would be safe going alone.

Katara enjoyed traveling to the Lower Tier the most, far from the snobby upper crust elite were where their government issued residence was. It was where the majority of refugees stayed, and it provided an eclectic variety in food, cultural practices, and forms of entertainment, the best of which was when the different variables combined. The residents were all very kind and polite to one another, all having an unspoken understanding that they were brought to Ba Sing Se for a reason, and now that they were they would band together to help each other make the best of the situation and thrive in their new city.

Because of the many different regions that were represented, the Lower Tier was also the best place for Katara to gather any information on the outside world, something she could not do in the Upper Tier. People told others about the letters they received from family about battles that had been fought, ships that had been sunk, soldiers who had been captured, memorials and celebrations of holidays and those who had been lost, and where the Fire Nation planned to attack next.

But even with all of the information Katara had received, all of pampering she had done just to relax in the Upper Tier, and all of the time spent looking for Appa, she couldn't help but feel that something was missing in all of it. And with the fact that she got a little jolt of excitement every time there were browns and reds near each other on fabrics and despite the small number of Fire Nation refugees living in the city she felt that same excitement and tried to catch the eye of anybody's who had the telltale glint of gold in their own, she knew why. She was trying desperately to hear word, any word, of Zuko and his uncle.

While it was nice to have a break from the constant traveling to relax and immerse herself in the culture of Ba Sing Se, there was something missing in not being able to see him scowling or controlling his red-orange flames. He was a constant. He was a rock. In the times before and after her tenure on his ship, he was the one thing that was always the same. It was a joke amongst the three of them when times were tough- "Oh well, we'll see Zuko in a few days and all will be back to normal then!" Just with that pattern, she half expected him to be in Ba Sing Se, trying to come after them.

But there was no news. There were reports about Fire Nation officials, the Fire Lord, Princess Azula, but nothing about Prince Zuko and General Iroh. It was as if they had disappeared off of the face of the earth.

As she sat in a little corner bakery in the heart of the Lower Tier, listening to some women talk about the newest tea shop and how it was the best they ever had, she realized with a heavy heart that she missed him, much more than she wanted to or should. She missed his constant presence and the Zuko she had been beginning to see on his ship. She wanted to see that Zuko especially.

Katara still had whatever feelings she had begun forming towards the elusive young man. She hoped that wherever he and Iroh were, they were safe and doing well and she would hear about them soon. She hoped too that-

Her thoughts ceased as a flash of orange flew past the bakery window. With a heavy sigh she dropped some coins on the table, reminded herself to visit the new tea shop the women were speaking of, and found the excited Airbender in the market square.

Aang turned around like he knew she was there the whole time, a huge smile splitting his face.

"Katara! I have news!"

* * *

(If y'all don't read this, at least read the bold, please!)

Hola, my lovely readers!

Yes, this was very filler-y and probably went WAY too quickly than it should have on some parts, but that's just how it is.

Honestly, I really never liked Book 2 except Zuko Alone, Lake Laogai, and the finale. So I just couldn't push myself to go into detail on a season that was so filler-y in and of itself anyway. I just couldn't.

But hey, this gets us back to seeing Zuko quicker!

I'M UP TO 50 REVIEWS! God, guys, you honestly have no idea how excited that makes me. Every one is a little boost to my writer's self-esteem no matter if it's just an "update please J" and I love knowing people actually read this. Plus, with every single one I get, it makes me work quicker, which is a benefit for all of us!

But now everybody, I could go two different ways next chapter. So, I'll be obnoxious and put it in bold so everyone sees it…

**To Blue Spirit or not to Blue Spirit?**

Cause if so, I've got some plans for him. ;)

Leave me a comment and let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

"Katara! I have news!" Aang shouted at her excitedly.

With an internal wince at his volume, she calmly replied. "What is it, Aang?"

"Jet and Longshot and Smellerby were hearing some Earth Kingdom refugees talking about this great big white fluffy thing flying in the sky the other night. It could be Appa!"

She hated to kill the boy's spirit, but he wasn't thinking this through like he should. But she chose the opposite approach and tried to reason with him like she always did. "Aang, that's great. But I think we should think about anything else that could have been before getting too excited."

Unsurprisingly, her statement fell on deaf ears. Aang muttered a "Yeah, sure," before using his bending to run quickly to a nearby vendor who was giving away prizes if he could hit the fake platypus bear more times than other players.

Katara sighed once briefly before continuing down the row of shops, looking at clothing and accessories that were infused with different regional styles from around the world.

She really enjoyed visiting this area of the great city. Sure it was dirtier and noisier and more crowded than the Middle and Upper Tiers, but the Lower Tier had much more to offer in terms of entertainment, dining, and overall experience. What she liked the most was all she was able to learn about places she had never been to or heard before, while being able to enjoy the comforts she was used to in the form of the Water Tribe refugees' shops and eateries.

The sun had begun to set before Katara realized it. But instead of people going inside, it seemed more people came out of their homes and into the Tier's square. Soon after darkness fell, a short barrage of fireworks lit the night sky and the crowd began cheering.

A man to Katara's right, who had obviously sensed her confusion, leaned down and said, "It's the beginning celebration we refugees have every year. Tomorrow you'll see all the little carnival games and food stands people will have out. It just symbolizes how far we've come from the little villages that the Fire Nation attacked to living in the great Ba Sing Se, where we actually have a sense of security, family, and hope."

An unfamiliar rush ran through Katara's body at his words, and she started cheering with the rest of the crowd as the fireworks continued, reds, blues, greens, and gold's lighting up the night sky.

As soon as it started, the celebration ended for the evening and the crowd dispersed. Katara's stomach rumbled loudly and the man who had spoken to her earlier chuckled. "There's a great restaurant about twenty feet away. It'll be open late because of the fireworks tonight."

She took the friendly stranger's advice and went to the restaurant, which was owned by a middle aged couple. The menu was an infusion of traditional Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe foods, and seeing that the husband and wife were from those respective cultures, Katara understood why.

The restaurant was packed with those who had just come from the square. It took what seemed like forever for Katara to get her meal and finally leave, and when she did it was well past ten or eleven o'clock.

The Lower Tier was spooky at night, she soon realized. There weren't any outside lights, making her rely on the moon for any sort of guidance in getting back to the Upper Tier. The area wasn't new, and the creaks and moans of the buildings added to the creepiness Katara was feeling. Now that nearly every street was abandoned, the noises made her jump every time.

To add to her anxiety, every so often she would hear something shuffling behind her, only for her to turn around and see nothing but crates and empty alleyways.

Katara couldn't help but feel she was being watched and followed. She tried to quicken her pace, knowing the entrance to the Middle Tier would be fast approaching, but her gut told her that her pursuer did exactly the same.

She continued to speed up, only to suddenly feel like the feeling of being followed had ceased. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, only to still see nothing in the night.

Katara shrugged once and continued on her way. She felt much more secure now and the feeling of unease had dissipated.

All of a sudden, a hand fell on her shoulder and a loud gasp escaped her lips. She spun around and stared into an ocean blue mask, with white accents and white fangs surrounding an open mouth.

Katara had seen this face before on many a wanted poster throughout various towns. Before she reacted again, the Blue Spirit touched a gloved finger to his lips to signal for her to be quiet. She nodded silently, noticing the swords on his back, and he seemed frozen for a moment, almost like he was in shock too, before he curiously cocked his head.

"Uh, hi," she tried, seeing if anything would come of her attempt to make conversation.

It didn't work.

The Blue Spirit turned on his heel and began to walk away. _Well, so much for that,_ Katara thought before letting out a sigh. The masked man stopped and looked over his shoulder before tilting his head to get her to follow him.

Surprised, she began to catch up with him and they soon turned a corner where she had just moments before. Laying there was a man lying behind some crates, clearly unconscious. The Blue Spirit looked from him to her, and it dawned on her what the significance was. When she thought she was being followed, she really was, by this creep who was now knocked out.

She turned to the Blue Spirit, shocked, and uttered out a stuttering "Thank you". The mask nodded once and turned around to head the opposite away. This time, Katara immediately followed.

He brought her through the gates separating the Lower and Middle Tiers, and continued to walk in silence next to her through the Upper Tier as well.

There was something familiar about him- a certain cockiness he gave off when he walked. There was a sort of proud confidence that she could swear she had seen before.

They finally reached the residence she was staying in. She turned to thank whomever was behind the mask and guided her home, but before she could the man pointed a finger at her then pointed towards the direction of the Lower Tier. She understood.

"Yes, I'll probably be there again tomorrow."

He nodded once and then hesitated before putting an unsure hand on her shoulder and looking down at her. Katara nodded too. He took his hand off and walked backwards from where they came, then turned and stalked away.

Katara stood on the porch of the house for a moment longer, watching the place where he had disappeared. A million things were racing through her mind, but she would think about them in the morning. It was late, and she needed some sleep.

* * *

As the sun shone through the little window upon return to the tea shop he and his uncle were currently residing when he arrived, Zuko knew there would be no sleeping for him today. But still, he would try, he decided as he peeled off his black clothing to reveal his shorts.

He lay down on his bed, his back to the air and tried. But after a while, he groaned. _Damn being a Firebender and this whole "no naps when the sun is out" crap._ With another moan, he pushed himself out of bed, did a few morning sit ups and pull ups, and hoped he could get something strong before people starting wandering into the shop. He didn't bother looking in the mirror when he brushed his teeth, knowing his hair would be a mess as usual and the bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep he had been getting would be more pronounced than they were yesterday.

He ran a hand over his face and through his hair as he made his way down stairs.

"Good morning, Prince Zuko!" His uncle greeted warmly and loudly. He stopped on the last step and glared through the hand still covering his face and heard Iroh chuckle. "Did somebody not sleep very well last night, nephew?"

Zuko growled a response and grabbed whatever Iroh had offered him. Whatever it was, it was strong and made him more alert.

"What are your plans for today?"

Zuko took another swig of his tea concoction before answering. "I don't know. I'll probably go walk around. What about you?"

A sad look passed over his uncle's face, and Zuko remembered what day it was. It would have been his cousin's birthday, and they were spending it in the very city where Lu Ten had been killed.

Still, Iroh answered. "I will probably do the same."

There was a girl who had been coming to the shop and sitting outside for days. She was obviously from the Earth Kingdom, probably around Zuko's age, and it seemed like she would never leave.

It was annoying.

Zuko slipped out, his mind now fully awakened, and tried to not be noticed by the girl. He blew out a jet of air when he saw it had worked.

He hated this place. He hated what it stood for. He hated how he was living. He hated how he had lived for the past two months or so. He hated having to hide who he was. He hated that he, the rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne, was forced to be in Ba Sing Se, no better than a common peasant.

He hated how this place made his uncle feel, because of Lu Ten and what Uncle Iroh called his "greatest military disgrace". He hated how this place made _him_ feel, remembering that nearly seven years ago now, his mother disappeared after news came of Lu Ten's death and Uncle's retreat of his six hundred day siege of this very city.

Zuko connected his mother's disappearance to Ba Sing Se. In his reasoning, if it wasn't a stronghold for the Earth Kingdom, Uncle wouldn't have laid siege. If Uncle wouldn't have laid siege, Lu Ten wouldn't have died. If Lu Ten didn't die, Uncle wouldn't have given up and came back to the Fire Nation. If Uncle didn't give up, his father wouldn't have disrespected his grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon. And if his father hadn't disrespected Azulon, Azulon more than likely wouldn't have died that night, and his mother would have never vanished.

Nobody knew for certain the circumstances surrounding Azulon's death, but there was plenty of speculation. Zuko certainly speculated it every chance he had time to. The facts were these- Ozai had stated that Iroh did not have an heir like he did after hearing of Lu Ten's death and demanded that he replace Iroh in line for the throne. Azula had come into Zuko's bedroom claiming Ozai was to kill Zuko to "learn the pain of losing a firstborn son". Mom had come in during the night telling Zuko she loved him. The next morning, Mom was gone, his grandfather dead, and his father was on the throne.

As Zuko found a shaded spot on a hill, he went over what he knew in his mind and what he thought had happened. He knew his mother would have done anything for him that she thought was best. So if Azula had been telling the truth, it was possible Ursa and Ozai came up with a plan to get Azulon off so Ozai could ascend and her son would be safe and alive.

He understood her reasoning behind it. He also understood that if this never happened, his mother would be home, _he _would be home, Uncle would be home, and he wouldn't have a brash, pink and purple scar covering half of his face. But the more he understood it, the more he hated it, too.

But he knew he wouldn't have had the experiences he had or met the people he did. Like the one he never expected to see last night. Katara. He was as shocked as she when she turned around and stared at his mask. He was almost happy to see her, like seeing her brought them back to before, when he had a ship and a crew and her too. Her words and encouragement she had spoken during the time on his had renewed something in him that he thought had long since come and gone from his years at sea.

He knew they were there before seeing her. Not only was he not stupid enough to think that the group wouldn't come to Ba Sing Se for help from the Earth King, but it was confirmed when he got the poster about the missing bison.

But actually seeing her again was nice, almost. That's why he had to "ask" if she was coming back tonight. And so she was.

Maybe they could look for that bison together. Of course, it wouldn't be as Zuko and Katara. It would be as the Blue Spirit and Katara. He didn't know what she would do or if she would even want to if she knew it was him. And for some reason, it really bothered him to think that she would be annoyed or upset at seeing _him _instead of the Blue Spirit.

He felt the muscle in his jaw flex involuntarily.

It was nearing sundown. He needed to do his evening exercises and put on his black clothes. It was time to transform into the Blue Spirit and see Katara again.

* * *

Katara was exhausted. They had an extremely long day looking for Appa, once again leading to more questions than answers.

But she had told that mysterious man last night she would be here, and that was why instead of being in bed, she was still in the Lower Tier.

Katara looked around the Lower Tier's middle square, wondering if he would come directly up to her or creep around like he did last night. Getting up from the edge of the fountain she was resting on, she wandered around the square, not wishing to stray too far. It felt like it had gotten darker, and fast.

She sighed and turned to go sit when a hand fell on her shoulder. She jumped, but it was like last night, so she decided to turn around and see who it was before screaming.

Katara looked into the face of the Blue Spirit and had to wonder who it was behind the mask. Obviously he was male, given his height and the muscles bulging from his arms, but that was all she could tell. Aside from the blue and white mask, he was covered literally head to toe in black.

He looked down at her for a moment before turning on his heel and walking away. She walked quickly to catch up with his large gait, and once she did, launched into the questions she promised herself she would ask.

"What are we doing?"

No answer.

"Where are we going?"

No answer again.

This time she paused a moment before asking her next question. "Well, what's your name? How old are you?"

Suddenly the man next to her made a complete stop and stared down at her. She squirmed under his black gaze, feeling like she had been in a situation like this before, but with someone else. "Can you at least tell me _something_?"

The mask nodded slowly and Katara felt excited until he quickly raised a gloved finger to his mouth and turned and continued walking the way they were going. The message was loud and clear; _be quiet! _She let out a huff and turned to look at his back, which was shaking. And now he was laughing at her! He stopped and looked back her and his shoulders started shaking harder at her incredulous expression.

_What a jerk!_

Katara stormed up to him and jabbed a finger into his hard chest. He was hot in such close proximity- his body gave off a pleasant warmth, much like going into the sun after being inside for a while.

Her finger still on his chest, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you laughing at me?" She tried to be serious, but her tone came off much flirtier than she expected.

His chest began moving again and he nodded before grabbing her wrist in his much larger left hand. Katara froze- this was way too reminiscent.

"_I'll save you from the pirates."_

"Ha, at least he doesn't have my necklace anymore," she muttered under her breath. The Blue Spirit, whose warm hand was still around her wrist, cocked his head. "Oh, this guy. He took my necklace once and then somehow we ended up kind of like this." He nodded and started laughing again, and Katara started laughing too. It was weird how similar this was, especially how this man grabbed her exactly the same way Zuko had then, and when she was on his ship, too.

He eventually released her but continued standing where he was. His covered eyes bore into her, and eventually she had to turn away because it was so intense, despite not being able to see them.

Once she had turned away though, the moment was lost. The Blue Spirit was back in action and took a step away from her before it looked like he was listening around. He turned to his left and stalked forward, holding his hand out to signal not to follow him.

Katara was okay with not. She watched him and her heart, which had just stopped fluttering, started again. The way he walked and held himself and his body language and especially the way he grabbed her wrist was just so like Zuko, and she couldn't help her reaction. It was like whatever she felt for the Fire Nation Prince transferred to this mysterious man.

Which was completely foolish. He could be anyone, and any age. She hadn't even heard his voice.

He motioned for her to follow, but she was rooted where she was. A second later he turned back to her and walked back where she was and placed his hands on her shoulder. Are you okay?

Katara looked up at the mask and nodded. He stared back at her and she rested her hands on his covered, warm forearms.

"Who are you?" She asked quietly. The man behind the mask sighed and shook his head before dragging his arms and hands through her own. "Why can't you tell me? I wouldn't tell anyone. Just... If we're going to see each other again, I want to know."

The mask's edge dropped to the man's chest and he took a step away.

"Don't! It's okay. I don't have to know." Katara resigned herself that she probably wouldn't find out who was behind the mask, but that didn't mean she didn't want to push him away or not see him.

He shook his head again and gazed back up at her for a long minute. It was one of those stances and pauses where she could tell he was thinking, going through pros and cons of whatever he was deciding.

His attention was taken away with a crash in the alleyway behind him. He dropped down into a familiar stance, grabbing his swords from their sheath on his back. He put up a fist for Katara to stay where she was as he stalked towards the alley. There was a small scuffle after he disappeared behind the corner and he came back a moment later with a flier in his gloved hand.

It was one Katara had made and gotten mass produced- Appa's missing poster.

She stared at it wordlessly for a moment before the Blue Spirit walked back towards the entrance of the alley and waited for her. As she joined him, she saw a disoriented man sitting on a pile of crates.

Katara knew the point he was trying to get across. Approaching the man, she thrust the poster in his face.

"Do you know anything about this?"

The man rubbed the spot on his head where a bump was forming and shot her a nasty look. The Blue Spirit unsheathed his swords so the man could hear it and got the desired effect.

"Alright, alright! Yeah, some old man was cleaning the zoo stables and started talking about how the thing was bought by some merchant on Whale Tail Island."

"And?"

"This guy walked by, let out a laugh and told the old man he was wrong. Said the thing was still in the city."

"And who is this man?"

"I don't know his name. He's about my age, maybe younger. Dai Li. You'll find him cheating on his wife somewheres around here."

* * *

They chased every lead they could for a few hours before the Blue Spirit walked Katara back to the Upper Tier. He asked her wordlessly whether they would continue the next night, and after she confirmed it, he stalked away into the night.

They continued this for six nights, and for six nights she started liking the guy behind the mask more and more. She just couldn't help it. As they hunted down this man, getting information from different people who knew the original man they had talked to, she felt it more and more.

Tonight Katara would do something about it. It had to be obvious, anyway, with how she would always subtly touch his arm or grab onto him if they were walking over unsteady land. He would stiffen a bit, but always let her continue touching him.

He was all business when Katara found him standing near the fountain, their agreed upon meeting place. His swords were out and in either hand and a piece of paper was sitting beside him. He motioned towards it with his head and Katara grabbed it to read.

_Long Feng is the name of the man you're looking for._

Katara's head sprung up in surprise. "How did you get this?"

The mask shook before the man sheathed his swords and guided her to a nearby alley that connected towards another and had a dummy propped up with two fake swords and a mock of the Blue Spirit's mask. It looked realistic in the darkness, but she knew it was fake since the real thing was standing right next to her.

"What's your plan?"

The man took the piece of paper that was still in her hand and flipped it over.

_Set up a trap for the Dai Li that are patrolling the area. Get one. He'll squeal._

"So do you want me to hide?"

He nodded.

Katara sighed and went back towards the fountain, where some crates were situated. The Blue Spirit, meanwhile, walked out of the alley they were both just in and walked to the next one over to wait. Suddenly he started waving his arms.

Katara knew what he wanted. She started making noise with the crates and stopped when a young Dai Li member came into the square to investigate.

Seeing nothing wrong, the young man continued, his arms folded within his sleeves.

The Blue Spirit rushed towards the kid, knocking him down and saying something Katara couldn't make out, before running into the dummy alley. The Dai Li agent stood up and stalked towards the alley, the typical stone gloves ready, and launched them towards the dummy. When the dummy fell and straw fell out of its decapitated head, the Dai Li agent dropped his stance. When he did, the real Blue Spirit dropped from a nearby rooftop and drew his swords before placing them at the man's throat.

Katara watched it happen and was stunned. The Blue Spirit had always been a bit of a bully, but seeing him use his swords in a way that could actually kill put a new level of danger in him.

She shook her head. It was the same person, no matter who he actually was, and he was just trying to get information. Nothing had really changed.

He brought the man out to the fountain and quickly jerked his head so Katara could come out. She did, and once the Dai Li member was seated and they knew he wouldn't run and didn't have more stone gloves, she started interrogating him.

Katara found out that Appa was indeed still in the city. The higher ups in the Dai Li had him secured in a facility underneath Lake Laogai, on the northwestern edge of the city. Where exactly in the underwater facility he was being held remained to be seen, but the information brought a small glimmer of hope that they would find the bison and continue what they came for.

After the questioning was over, the Blue Spirit hit the Dai Li agent over the head with the butt of one of his swords and dragged the man to a nearby doorstep. He would come to later, after Katara and the man in the mask had long since disappeared.

Katara was elated. She felt buoyant now that there was a solid lead on where Appa was being contained and she was ready to continue on towards finding the facility under the lake and the bison that was held in it.

"Nice job!" She held a hand up, waiting for the masked man to put up one of his own. Instead, he stared at her through the covered eyes.

Not allowing him to kill her spirit, Katara did it for him, grabbing his covered wrist and hitting his hand to her waiting one.

They stood for a moment, staring at each other, before he finally moved. He cocked his head to the left and then grabbed her wrist before turning on his heel and walking her through the Lower Tier, past the shops and restaurants and into the more strictly-residential area.

Before turning one particular corner, he forced her in front of him and placed a gloved hand over her eyes and guided her forward with his chest.

"Um, what's going on?" Katara asked warily. She trusted this guy, but she couldn't help but think of the possibilities of what might happen, especially not actually knowing anything about him.

Of course, he didn't answer and continued to walk them somewhere, where finally he stopped and uncovered her eyes.

Katara gasped. In front of her was a beautifully lit up fountain. Floating in the water were little boats with candles, and it was surrounded by lanterns that illuminated the whole little area they were standing in in a soft light.

She stood there and gazed in wonder for a moment until she sensed the Blue Spirit move behind her. He stalked forward and found a spot to sit and rest on the fountain's edge before motioning for her to join him.

Walking to stand in front of him, Katara was able to fully appreciate the fountain after she stepped inside the circle of lamp posts and was able to see the boats' glow shimmer off the surface of the water.

"This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here."

The mask nodded once before the man took off his gloves. With a warm, pale hand, he caught her wrist once more and brought her in front of him.

Whoever it was, Katara realized now how tall he actually was. Of course she had noticed before, but sitting on the fountain's low wall, he was just a few inches below her chin.

She had a sudden rush of admiration towards this mysterious man as they stared at one another. Thinking of the last few nights they shared and the feelings she knew were growing towards him, a small smile appeared on her lips.

His hand was still around her wrist, but he has relaxed enough to where her hand was halfway in his own. His other moved upwards and stopped in midair next to her face, but he dropped it down onto her shoulder. Almost instinctively, she brought her hand up and rested it on top of his.

After a long minute of this, Katara let out a low, "Who are you?"

Immediately his hands withdrew and she struggled to retain the moment. "No, no, it's okay-"

But he held up a hand to silence her, and after a deep breath, moved his hands to the back of the mask. His head bent down, out of habit, it seemed, and he worked on the strings keeping the piece of wood in place.

_He's going to show me. _Her heart started pounding and her breaths came out almost in pants as a million possibilities ran through her mind in the matter of a second.

But it all stopped as a crop of short black hair appeared and he tilted his head so Katara could finally see the man behind the mask.

Her heart stopped, her breathing stopped, and her mind stopped. The only things that worked were her lips, which were mobile enough to let out one short, breathy, word.

"_Zuko._"

* * *

**And welcome back! **

**Just so you guys know, there's another half coming. I was going to do it all at once, but I think it will be better this way.**

**The part where Zuko is going downstairs I got from my boyfriend. Whenever he wakes up and I try talk to him before his coffee, he'll glare at me through his fingers. It's actually really adorable.**

**Wow, 15 reviews last time? Let's keep it up! :)**

**Thanks for reading, leave me your thoughts and comments!**


	9. Chapter 9

"_Zuko._"

The whispered word wasn't quite a question, and not quite a statement. It was a mixture of both, just like what was happening in Katara's mind at that moment.

Was this actually him? Was this just a dream? It had to be. That's the only thing that could rationale both getting the information about Appa and seeing him again within five minutes of each other.

Besides, Zuko didn't actually have _hair._ He just had that stupid pony tail!

Though when they last saw each other, she remembered that the ponytail was gone and his head was smattered with growing hair.

She studied him. His face seemed leaner, like he had lost some weight. He looked that way when he was standing up, too. His hair was jet black and short. But it made him look better, she would even dare to say handsome, and it took some harshness off of the scar adorning his left half.

Her idea that this was a dream faded when she looked into his eyes. Despite one being partially closed, the light from the candles glittered off of them both. His eyes were the same piercing gold. No dream could have captured the hue and intensity of his eyes correctly.

The Fire Nation Prince in question looked up to her warily, but as time continued without a response from the Waterbender his face turned to one of panic.

Reading his expression easily, Katara fell forward and gave him the biggest hug that she could. He grunted from the unexpected impact, but then stood without breaking their contact and wrapped his arms around her waist in return.

"Hey, Katara."

There they stood in each other's arms, drinking in one another and not wanting to let go. At least Katara didn't, and it seemed like Zuko wasn't going to move any time soon. But the longer she stood there, the quicker the other side of her mind was taking over.

Suddenly she stepped out of his embrace and crossed her arms, one eyebrow peaked.

"So. Care to explain why you didn't tell me when you had as many opportunities as you did to do so?" She felt like she was admonishing him like she would Sokka or Aang, but she really didn't care. She was miffed.

And good for him, he understood it.

He began scratching the back of his head awkwardly and grasping at any straws he could. "I- uh, I… I mean- I…"

Her eyebrow arched higher.

"I… I guess I don't really have a good reason." He hung his head slightly and stared at a spot on the ground.

"Mm-hmm. And why did you decide to bring me here?"

"I don't know. I thought you would like it, I guess?"

Her anger melted away at that. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she let out a quiet "Thank you." Zuko lifted his head slightly and the corners of his mouth peaked.

"Zuko… what are you doing in Ba Sing Se?"

His expression darkened before he put a hand on her back and began guiding her forward. "Let's go sit. I've got a lot to explain."

* * *

Katara couldn't sleep. She was lying in bed, tired, and she had been for hours, but she couldn't sleep. Seeing Zuko again and him explaining his last few months is the only reason she could think of as to why. They went to sit under a tree on top of a little hill where he told how he and Uncle Iroh had faced bounty hunters, near starvation, possible imprisonment, injury, "some asshole named Jet", and worst of all, his sister.

But now they were in the city as refugees, trying to make a new life and opening a new tea shop in the Upper Ring.

After that conversation, they walked and talked back to the Upper Ring and talked some more on their front porch. Finally Zuko left, with a promise they would see each other later. And now Katara was in bed, her mind replaying the entirety of the night.

The sun would be rising soon, and she was thinking of sending the boys and Toph off for breakfast so she wouldn't have to get up. That hope was soon dashed though as she heard a large crash coming from the living room.

She loved her little makeshift family, she really did. But as Katara walked through the hallway separating the bedrooms from the rest of the house, all she could do was turn around and go back to her room as she saw Sokka and Aang on the floor, a broken table next to them and sheepish looks on their faces.

With a groan Katara plopped face first onto her bed and just sat there for a while.

"Katar-"

"GO AWAY." She cut through her brother's voice before he could finish saying her name, grumbling the words through her plush pillow.

"But Aang and I were wondering about breakfast-"

"Sokka." She turned over and looked at him calmly. His eyes widened, recognizing the tone in her voice and the expression on her face as one he had seen many times before. "I'm just going to tell you this once, and then maybe you'll understand. In the last week, I have gotten a total of maybe seven or eight hours of sleep. Last night I didn't get any. Do you get what I'm saying?!"

"Uh, yeah. Aang, Toph and I will be at the diner down the street if you need us. Have a good nap!"

He ran from her doorway and Katara groaned into her pillow once again. She tried to succumb to sleep, but after half an hour she knew it wasn't going to happen.

Instead, Katara got showered and dressed and decided to venture to the location of Iroh's new tea shop, hoping Zuko would be there as he said he would all day. The Jasmine Dragon was situated on the corner of one of the busiest streets in the shopping district of the Upper Ring, a quaint little building that Katara was sure Iroh had picked out himself.

As she ascended the few steps to the entrance, the aging general opened the door for her with a large smile gracing his lips. "Well hello again, Miss Katara!"

She beamed back at him and gave the older man a tight hug, which he returned back enthusiastically. "How are you doing, Uncle Iroh? Are you excited to open up shop?"

"Oh, I'm very excited. I can finally share my passion for tea with the city I had once longed to take. But now, I'm going to take them a different way!"

She giggled at his excitement. "I'm glad you're doing so well. I'm sure the Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in all of Ba Sing Se."

"Thank you, Miss Katara. So what brings you here? How did you find out about this?"

Katara blushed slightly at the memory. "Well, on the night of the fair in the Lower Ring, Zuko and I ran into each other... Literally."

Iroh beamed again. "Oh, of course. My nephew has seemed a bit different lately, but now I know why. Prince Zuko!"

The young man in question popped his head out of a doorway leading into the back at the sound of his name. "Yeah, Uncle?"

"You've got company." Iroh responded in a telling tone. Zuko focused his attention to their guest, a minuscule smile causing the corners of his mouth to peak.

"Hey, Katara." He greeted, coming from the doorway and stopping in front of her.

She smiled. "Hi, Zuko." She took a second to drink in his appearance. She had only ever seen him in his Fire Nation armor or the tight, form fitting clothes he wore at the North Pole and as the Blue Spirit, so it was a shock to see him dressed in workout clothes that were a dull Earth Kingdom green.

"I know, green's not really my color." She couldn't disagree with that statement. "What are you up to?"

"Oh nothing. I was bored and couldn't sleep, so I figured I would come see what you were doing."

"Uncle and I are just finishing setting up the shop. We're opening in a few days."

Before Katara could answer that she could come back later, Iroh cut in. "But, nephew, we've been doing so for a while. Why don't you go and spend the day with Miss Katara?"

"But Uncle-"

"No 'buts', Prince Zuko."

"It's okay, really-"

"That goes for you as well, Miss Katara. I hear there's another carnival in town. You two go and have fun!"

Zuko nodded once before stating that he was going to change first. A moment later he returned with a casual green outfit with no sleeves that showed off his muscles.

"Alright, let's go."

They proceeded into the center of the Upper Ring, where vendors had begun setting up their booths for the upcoming celebration. It was still very early in the day, and the festivities weren't to begin until midday.

"Come on, we'll go and get something to eat in the meantime." Zuko stated. They settled upon a small family run restaurant, where the owner's daughter was their maître d and their sons were waiters. Katara threw Zuko an elbow when she saw the boys were about their ages.

"That's going to be you in a few days."

He shook his head briefly, the corners of his mouth peaking upwards slightly. "Remember I have been for a while now, just down in the Lower Ring."

As they sat across from each other, Katara studied him. His face was even more angular than it had been before, no doubt due to his lack of nourishment while he traveled across the Earth Kingdom. His exposed arms, though still extremely toned, were slightly thinner as well. "I know. I'm a lot smaller."

"You're still over a whole head taller than me."

He cracked a small smile. "Well, at least there's that."

She continued scanning him for a while longer. His hair was still a shock to see; she was used to the bald headed, ponytailed Zuko who wore training gear and armor every waking minute. But this was the embodiment of the Zuko she had started seeing on the ship, the man beneath the armor and stony face. He looked like a new person. He looked really handsome. But his golden eyes were troubled, more so than she had seen them before.

"Zuko-"

"Lee." He cut her off, stating simply his alias. At her confused look, he explained. "If you couldn't tell by my pale skin and golden eyes, I'm from the Fire Nation. Lee is a common name there. Zuko, not so much."

Katara understood. It was about trying to protect his identity, and to maybe even escape it. "It's okay, Zuko," she started, grabbing one of his hands that was resting on the table. He didn't object, but his brow furrowed slightly at the contact. "Down in the Lower Ring, sure, but up here, these people don't even know about the war." He looked shocked, and more than disbelieving, so she explained, her voice a whisper.

"Long Feng and the Dai Li have control over the Upper and Middle Rings. They have all of the people here, and most in the Middle Ring aside from refugees who made their way up and refuse to speak of it, under their control. Not even the Earth King knows there's a war waging."

"How is that even possible?! What about my uncle trying to take over the city?"

"As you know, that's the furthest anybody has ever gotten. But that only affected those in the Lower Ring- not up here. These people are so sheltered, the king especially, and the Dai Li essentially have this city under their control."

Zuko took a moment to process the information. "That's... Unbelievable."

Katara gave him a few minutes to think. As he did, the turmoil in his eyes returned. "Zuko, what's going on?" She probed gently.

Their meal came then, breaking the contact between their hands. After their young waiter retreated, Zuko tiredly ran his hands over his face and through his hair and sighed.

"Let's wait until we're somewhere more private." Katara nodded in agreement. They ate slowly, Zuko asking Katara what it was like growing up where she did. She explained that her father is her tribe's current chief, so younger children would look up to her and Sokka for advice. She told him tales about growing up with penguin sledding and fishing for recreation, helping others without batting an eye, and how her tribe was truly a community.

He absorbed the information with a curious expression, only interrupting when Katara had said something and then didn't elaborate on it.

Katara's commentary took up the rest of their time at lunch, and as they reentered the area where the carnival would be, the majority of preparations were completed. Zuko placed a warm hand on her shoulder and guided her to a secluded spot outside of the main shopping district, a little grassy knoll where they could talk about what was going on with him.

He sighed again as he sat down and ran a hand over his face. Katara watched him intently, concern written all over her face. He glared at a spot in the grass before letting out another breath and beginning.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just confused. My uncle's happy, his life is going the way he wants. We don't have to worry about when our next meal is, or about Azula coming to capture us. We've got a nice house that we just moved into in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. Our lives are going well. I'm around people I care about."

He stopped abruptly. "Like your uncle..." She guided. His eyes flashed up to hers and held her gaze momentarily.

"Yeah. Like my uncle." His raspy voice continued. "I'm just confused. I've got my mind going in two different directions. I'm okay with staying here and helping my uncle, but..." He trailed off, his eyebrow tilting upward and mashing towards the middle of his forehead. He didn't continue.

"Zuko?" Katara asked gently.

He turned sideways, his unscarred side facing her and his eyes closed. Not for the first time, Katara noticed just how handsome and attractive the man sitting in front of her truly was. His jaw was tense, a muscle jumping at his jawline.

"I miss my home. You have no idea... It's been going on four years since I've seen the Fire Nation. My entire life is there- my father, my sister, my friends, my people, memories of my mother, my honor..."

Zuko brought his gaze back to Katara's, where she watched in concern as his expressions changed in his confusion as he spoke.

"I'm not prepared for this kind of life. Uncle, he's always enjoyed the simpler things. I almost wish I could the way he does. But my family- my father especially- and my instructors, they didn't prepare me for this!" He grabbed a handful of his green robes and lifted them before dropping the material.

"I grew up in the Fire Nation's capital, in a palace nearly as large as the Middle Ring. I learned about my country's history, the history of my family, how the war was the Fire Nation's way of spreading its prosperity to the world, Firebending from the greatest instructors, what it meant to be in the royal family- how to properly bow and salute, how to sit at our meals, which fork to use when, how to speak publicly… Not how to be in the lower to middle class of the Earth Kingdom!"

His voice kept rising until he was nearly shouting. At the end of his rant, he stood up suddenly and turned from her, his fists clenched and head slightly bowed. Katara rose too and stood in front of him, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I'm just so confused, and not just about that," he almost whispered.

"Zuko, listen to me. I know. I _know._ Everything that you've grown to love is thousands of miles and an ocean away. Obviously I haven't been away as long as you have, but I understand where you're coming from. It's hard being away from what you know and what you're comfortable with. You'll get back there, I know you will. And I don't _ever_ want to hear you say again that you have no honor." His eyes opened, an indistinguishable glimmer shining through the gold. "You took me in when I had no place else to go. You saved that man during the storm. You always do what you think is right. You're a man of your word. And underneath all of this toughness and confusion and the walls that you have built up, you're a good man, Zuko. And _that _is what it means to have honor."

His expression changed to one of confidence. His hand met hers on his unscarred check and squeezed before he brought his unused arm around her waist and drew her to him tightly. Katara returned the display after a shocked moment had passed, throwing her arm against his neck and bringing herself even closer to his heated body. Zuko dropped her hand and wrapped his now free arm above where his other already was, and Katara moved her hand from his cheek to join her other around his neck in return, lightly scratching the sensitive skin under his jaw line in the process.

Zuko growled lowly and tucked his face in the crook of Katara's neck, his body growing slightly warmer and tightening his arms to draw her even closer, if it were at all possible.

Katara tilted her head to the side to accommodate him, feeling his skin pressed against her collarbone and his hot breath fanning across her own expanse of skin. He shifted his head slightly and rubbed his nose against her pulse. As he did, his scar brushed against her cheek. It felt smooth, almost like a black lava rock or the glass that lightning made when it struck sand on a beach.

Katara gasped softly at the contact before realizing he probably couldn't feel that his scar was touching her face. Her heart broke again just like it did when she heard the story of his scar from Iroh for the young man that was in her arms. She shifted her hand and placed it in his soft black hair, keeping his head in place. Zuko grabbed a fistful of her blue fabric but stopped, waiting for her to make the next move.

Almost instinctively, Katara pressed her hips closer against his, noticing the atmosphere between them change into something more static. She slid her free hand across his back, feeling his muscles jump at her touch.

Zuko groaned again before lifting his head and staring into her eyes, his own hooded and his breathing ragged. He lowered his head just slightly, tilting it to the right as he did, his lips parted. Katara noticed her breathing was just as erratic and her heart was beating hard against her chest as she did the same. He half smiled, half smirked at her movement before closing his eyes.

"_Ewwww!" _The sound of children chorusing and laughing made them jump apart, their faces both beat red.

Two little Earth Kingdom boys, one with a red ball in his hands that had to be the same color as the embarrassment staining the two teens' faces, laughed again before running away.

Katara snuck a glance at Zuko, who was dragging a hand through his shaggy hair. He looked embarrassed, but also a little mad. She placed her head in her hands and groaned before looking at the sky.

"Come on, it's nearly five."

Zuko looked at her warily, coughed once awkwardly, but began following her back towards the area where people were beginning to line the streets for the festival. Young couples were waiting for the games and watching street performers. Music was playing off in the distance, where a raised platform was designed for people to start dancing whenever they wished.

Katara's mind was racing, replaying the last few moments in her head. It was clear that Zuko would have kissed her if they had not been interrupted. But what did it mean, if anything? Did he have feelings for her like she did he or was it just because he was being lustful, again like she was? Or was it a combination of both?

Her mind spinning, Katara didn't notice where she was leading them until Zuko made a pointed comment about it. She blushed and told him she would just follow him.

They went to watch one of the street vendors perform. He used sparks that Zuko identified as something from the Fire Nation. He would throw them down and at people's feet, where they would make a little bang and let out a puff of colorful smoke as they hit the pavement. The duo made their way up and down the streets, watching the presentations and grabbing some of the cultural snacks that were available.

More and more people came out as the sun started coming down to the point where it was claustrophobic. Katara kept getting separated from Zuko, who would glare at whoever had pushed their way between them. After one particular time, Zuko growled, "That's it," and grabbed Katara's hand in his. She knew it was because of the people, but still she felt euphoric. She used another person trying to cut between them as an excuse to twine her fingers through his, smiling widely as she saw Zuko's lips turn up in his familiar small smile.

"Do you want to go up there?" Zuko shouted above the noise of the crow at one point and gestured to the raised dancing platform with his chin. Katara nodded and Zuko brought her through the street to where the band was drumming out beats. They found a spot towards the middle and Zuko spun her around so Katara's back was to his chest. They let their bodies follow the rhythm and move with one another's.

Zuko's hands covered Katara's on her stomach, his fingers tangled with hers. He matched her movements exactly; anticipating when she would move, where, and how quickly, and Katara couldn't help but think about how he did the same in battle.

He rested the side his head against her shoulder and she felt him smirk into the side of her neck. Suddenly the beat changed and Zuko turned Katara back to face him.

This one was slower, but still a good pace. Katara looked up at Zuko and saw him smiling, larger than she had seen before.

"Thank you for today, Katara," he said loudly into her ear.

She craned her head upwards to respond. "No, thank _you,_ Zuko."

He squeezed his hands where they were positioned on her back. His hair was in his eyes, damp due to the sweat that their movements were causing, but his eyes shone through, a deep amber color because the fire that was reflecting off of them from a distance. He smiled down at her, wide enough to see something she hadn't noticed before- Zuko had dimples. Not very deep ones, just subtle ones that would only appear if he smiled just the right width.

His placed his head on top of hers as he continued guiding her hips with his large hands. "You know Katara," he shouted loudly enough that she could hear him, "I'm not confused by one thing anymore."

She looked up at him, glad that he had figured out whatever it was, but confused herself. Somehow they had gotten themselves back into the position they were earlier, her arms around his neck, his around her waist and his face brushing hers. He moved again, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. She did the same. They stood in that position for a long moment, still swaying to the music, before he made any further move.

"And that's you." Zuko stated simply, before pressing his lips swiftly to Katara's.

* * *

**Cheerio, everybody!**

**It's raining here, so I decided to bust this out while I could. **

**Okay, EVERYBODY knows there's sexual tension between Zuko and Katara, canon or not. Most obvious examples- the entire third season after The Day Of Black Sun. So, I added my own in there!**

**Much love to Everlasting Harmony, lissyferret7, Guest, , Fangirling Crazy, Ldrmas, Moves of a dreamer, and Lila for reviewing!**

**I've got the next chapter up and ready to go. Leave me some love, and I MIGHT just put it up tomorrow!**


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